By AVA TURNQUEST
Tribune Chief Reporter
aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
MINISTER of Agriculture V Alfred Gray yesterday said his ministry will await the results of tests ordered on a batch of feed from the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation’s (BAIC) Feed Mill as he pushed back against “speculation” that recent livestock deaths were linked to contaminated feed.
Noting the timing of recent pig deaths at the Gladstone Road Agricultural Centre (GRAC) and several “swimming pigs” in Exuma, Mr Gray suggested that there could be a wider issue impacting livestock, similar to the canine distemper outbreak in 2014. However, he urged the public to await the results of testing.
“Several animals have died in Exuma, several animals have died at Gladstone Road, so it may be something in the air,” Mr Gray said. “And the Exuma pigs did not eat our (BAIC) food so remember when we had the dog’s temper (sic), where dogs were just falling down dead.
“It may be something that is airborne, we don’t know. That’s why I need to have the results of the test because without those results everybody is speculating.”
In a Tribune report last week, farmers claimed that gross mismanagement at BAIC was responsible for hundreds of livestock deaths since Hurricane Matthew last October.
One insider confirmed that 40 adult hogs and scores of suckling pigs at the GRAC piggery have died within the past two months.
At that time, the BAIC Feed Mill had been shut down for nearly three weeks, intensifying the economic hardship experienced by farmers last year, as they have to purchase feed at retail prices from local distributors, essentially paying double the cost for half the amount.
The insider alleged that the feed was contaminated by mouldy corn that was ordered from the US but spoiled due to improper storage.
It was further alleged that officials knew that the feed was compromised but decided to “take a gamble” due to the heavily politicised nature of the sector, which saw more than half of the staff at the corporation replaced by non-technical political placements.
Yesterday, Mr Gray said: “I don’t know why the famers would conclude it’s the feed that caused the disaster which they befall. We have selected some of the food, sent it off for testing and we are awaiting for the conclusion of the test. I think that’s a reasonable position because we don’t want to agree with them before we know conclusively whether the food was contaminated.”
He continued: “That batch of food is finished that they claim might have been contaminated, but I’m not joining them in that regard because I’m not sure. I’m awaiting the results of the test.”
Mr Gray confirmed that the feed mill was now operational and that there has been a new shipment of food.
He insisted that the corporation did have a nutritionist on site, and that it only lacked sufficient testing facilities to test for contaminants.
“We have a nutritionist on site,” he said. “What we do not have is sufficient testing facilities to test for poison and the rest of it and so we have to send it to our lab. The feed mill doesn’t have it. We send it to the lab at Gladstone Road site and they are doing the testing for us.”
Comments
themessenger 7 years, 8 months ago
No doubt the sample sent for testing is not contaminated and the tests will prove negative. Pretty coincidental that multiple farmers pigs and some of the guvment own just happen to die after eating feed from the guvment mill, we won't get into the Exuma pigs right now. Grey will probably tell us it was swine flu what cause it.
Cobalt 7 years, 8 months ago
Exactly right.
More lies. More distortions. More unaccountability. More clandestine. More hogwash. More failure. More bullshit. More PLP.
TalRussell 7 years, 8 months ago
Comrades! Been passed information that BAMSI has a whole herd Billy Goats and that the head billy goat, Crazy Billy, has been told how scientists believe that humans have evolved from a species of goats - and every time Minister Gray does visit BAMSI - Crazy Billy, follows the minster all over the farm.
Now, don't get me wrong cause I'm not drawing no conclusions, okay, just pointing out what I was told - but I have seen a recent photograph which my Androsian source claims they tooks of Crazy Billy - that's all I'm saying.
sealice 7 years, 8 months ago
we know why the goat likes to follow him around......
banker 7 years, 8 months ago
I think that the test should be conducted by making Gray eat the feed and then we watch and see what happens. I would pay to see that.
sealice 7 years, 8 months ago
Alfred needs to eat the Feed.... Jerry Fitz needs a glass of water from Marathon .... and Christie needs to spend a weekend in a neighborhood in his Constituency..... lets these assholes see what it feels like to be shit on day in and day out by our "elected" officials.
killemwitdakno 7 years, 8 months ago
What were those other farms that claimed to have lost pigs?
killemwitdakno 7 years, 8 months ago
I blame the free foreign neutering that local vets protested for the distemper.
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