Counting Cows

Dairy farmers preparing to import hundreds of pregnant heifers to avert a milk shortage were on Tuesday pinning their hopes on the government keeping its promise to soon release millions of dollars in assistance.

President of the Beef and Dairy Producers Association Annette Beckett said the farmers wanted to import the cows no later than mid-June to ensure they would be in a position to boost next year’s milk production.

She gave Barbados TODAY an update on the special programme the government announced it was going to put in place for the ailing industry exactly four weeks ago, during the Budget.

Back then, Prime Minister Mia Mottley said there would be a suite of incentives for farmers, including a rebate on cow purchases raised from 50 per cent (max $4 000) to 80 per cent (max $6 400) per cow, costing $2.048 million.

On Tuesday, Beckett said: “The money has been allocated so there is no doubt we are going to get the portion of the money that we asked for but it now has to go through the governmental process. We are hoping that it does not take longer than it has to take. We are hoping that by June the cows are here.”

In January, Beckett said the farmers are in a precarious situation and need to import 320 climate-resilient cows to increase production and allow Pine Hill Dairy, the island’s sole milk processor, to restart milk exports.

The animals are to be imported in batches. The first batch is a plane load of 214, and the remainder will be imported before year-end, Beckett stated.

Plans are also being put in place to ensure that all the paperwork required to clear the animals is being processed, the dairy farmers’ spokeswoman added.

She said the other aspects of the government’s programme will work in conjunction with the cow imports.

The Budget proposed that dairy farmers will also benefit from a $1 000 incentive per young heifer for stock replenishment; a 45 per cent rebate on hay purchases for three years; a rebate on establishing pasture lands increased from $202 to $1 000 per acre; a 60 per cent rebate (max $40 000) on forage harvesters, trailers, and other harvesting equipment; a rebate for infrastructure repair increased from 25 per cent (max $60 000) to 40 per cent (max $600 000); and a 60 per cent rebate (max $60 000) for upgrading to innovative and digital technologies.

The heifer importation would follow strict health and safety guidelines to ensure that the animals, which are coming from North Carolina, are of quality and disease-free, said Beckett.

Speaking on the latest development with avian influenza where a person contracted the virus from a cow, Beckett said: “What we have to do is to make sure that where our cows are coming from are not contaminated in any way, and that’s what our supplier will do. We are getting the cows from more than one supplier. They gave us the guarantee that their animals were disease-free; we don’t have it in writing yet but we are fully aware of the areas where there is an outbreak. Our veterinary experts are in contact with the suppliers and they know the areas where the flu has been identified.

“Even before the animals come here, we have to present veterinary officers with a certificate that states where the animals are coming from and where the animals had to travel to get here. That document is being worked on. Two farmers and a veterinarian will go down and inspect the animals as well. The cows have to be quarantined for three weeks in America before they are shipped and when they come here they have to be quarantined again,” she explained.

sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb