National symposium on chicken safety needed

THE EDITOR: We commend and support the respective mayors and public health inspectors in their recent continuing efforts to ensure that food safety and health is number one priority to consumers. Similarly an urgent call is now made to the Ministries of Health and Agriculture to investigate and correct the production of chicken on farms and processing plants in TT. In the ’80s and early ’90s under the patronage of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the local chicken owners were funded through assistance programmes in poultry health management and disease control with particular reference to the eradication of diseases such as Bird Flu, Cociodiosis, New Castle, Gumboro and Multiple Growth Disorders.

Regrettably, these programmes have ended and no longer funded by the USDA. They have since been transferred to other countries due to the lack of interest by local chicken owners. More so, health records reflect that during the last 14 years, there was only one case recorded in 2004 by Public Health inspectors when luckily a Central farm was discovered with the deadly bird flu disease that were dumped under its supervision. Furthermore there is the obvious absence of a National Poultry Health and Improvement Plan in TT and no effective monitoring mechanism set up by Government. As a result, there may be a high volume of chicken on farms on a weekly basis that are susceptible to infectious diseases that are not inspected by Public Health inspectors but sent to poultry processing plants for slaughtering usually on weekends or at nights.

Please be advised that in 2002, one of the chicken companies was forced to close down for three months because of the high density of diseases and bacteria fungus discovered in the plant by US officials whose responsibility had to certify a clean health bill for purchase, a requirement needed by a US franchise restaurant now operating in Trinidad. The processing plants need also to improve their operations in bio security and stop the dumping of poultry waste into rivers and drains that pass through communities. Similar, as several South and North American countries, we propose an immediate implementation of a National Poultry Health Programme to be funded by owners of these chicken companies. For every pound of chicken produced five cents will be put into a Poultry Improvement Fund. This will derive approximately $2,200,000 annually to employ 45 young UWI graduates of Agriculture Science. This programme to be monitored by a relevant Governmental Department.

We advise owners of poultry companies to be smart and become better nationalistic corporate patrons to call a national symposium that would consist of a wide cross-section of participants to include UWI graduates of Agriculture Science, consumer watch groups and government agencies to discuss “Recommendations and the Implementation for a National Poultry Health Programme.” Their immediate aim should be to focus on developing standards and quality in the best interest of preserving consumers health. We also believe that bankers have their financial responsibility to play in this effort and should be definitely included.

There are several benefits that would be achieved as a result of this programme. They are the creation of high paying job opportunities, a much lower cost of production, a positive impact on consumers of reduced prices, producers sustainable growth through its thrust towards export markets, elimination of ill practices and ultimately develop a brighter and healthier poultry industry. Finally, the price for true success comes from integrity, innovation and improvement-driven action that should never be compromised. You must face your own responsibility to global competition and its challenges as the rest of us. Bashing government will never help. We wish to see you under a more humanitarian light to deserve our respect.

SUSAN ABRAHAM Activist
Cascade