Govt plans surveillance investment to bolster animal disease response

The Ministry of Agriculture said on Tuesday it is preparing a major investment programme to strengthen surveillance, testing and monitoring across animal and food production to improve its readiness for potentially devastating disease outbreaks.

Minister of Agriculture Dr Shantal Munro-Knight said stronger surveillance and testing capacity were critical to protecting food security, trade and farmers’ livelihoods.

As she opened a workshop on developing a rapid response to African Swine Fever, held at the Hilton Barbados Resort, Dr Munro-Knight said Barbados slaughtered between 25 000 and 30 000 pigs annually, though that figure had declined from about 50 000 in previous years.

“That’s a lot of pigs. That’s a lot of pork consumed,” she said, while noting that the country also imported about US$1.5m ($3m) in pork products annually for processing.

African swine fever, a transboundary animal disease, could have devastating consequences for small farmers and people whose livelihoods were closely tied to agriculture, she noted. 

“We understand the nexus between animal health and food security, investment and trade, but it’s also significantly about livelihoods. 

“Therefore, the devastation that can be had from the African swine fever…to small players, small pig farmers, people who make up again due to historical, cultural reasons, the bedrock within our agri-food systems, it becomes something for me that elevates the siloed issue…to one of national criticality.”

Dr Munro-Knight said the government had already developed an investment portfolio which included plans to seek financing for a new slaughterhouse.

Testing capacity was also being strengthened through upgrades and expansion of the veterinary laboratory and Government Analytical Services.

“We understand the importance of biosecurity and having the correct testing facilities within the region,” she said.

Dr Munro-Knight acknowledged that Barbados does not “invest enough to have the capacity to be able to have surveillance, and all of the necessary information and reporting that will allow us again to respond proactively”. 

She also pointed to gaps in crop traceability, saying Barbados was still working to catch up with systems already being used elsewhere.

“Even in relation to what we are doing in terms of crop production, we are actually behind the curve of [other countries],” she said. “So where already, we see the use of traceability, we are now talking about how we do that better for crops.”

The farm minister stressed that regional and international partnerships would also be important in strengthening the national response to animal health threats.

She said: “Partners have to be able to respond to national priorities, not their own. 

“They have to be able to bring to the table practical solutions and pathways that actually advance our agendas and not anybody else’s.

“We are, as a region and as a globe, in a critical space…and as part of that, good partnerships are the only way that we would be able to make progress.”

(SB)