-in wake of criticisms by Campbell
By Khadidja Ba
In the wake of criticisms from businessman Terrence Campbell, the Ministry of Agriculture yesterday defended its management of the poultry industry and says it working towards the use of a locally developed vaccine for the industry.
It said that once the vaccine completes its line of trials it is expected to add to the government’s efforts to stimulate immunity in the poultry sector.
Campbell on January 6th criticized the government by way of a letter in Stabroek News for seemingly “foot-dragging on poultry vaccination” which “has left the sector struggling to satisfy local demand”. In his letter he stated that “Farmers have also been experiencing high rates of mortality as a result of inclusion body hepatitis (IBH). The government has demonstrated ineptitude in its response to the disease.” He also stated that “The question that naturally arises, is why isn’t the government moving quickly to try other vaccines?…One initial policy response was to import chicken and distribute through the farmers to mitigate their losses. However, greed stepped in and now many, without any historical connection to the sector, are recipients of these imports. Anecdotal evidence suggest that many containers are steered towards a politically favoured business octopus.”
