BVI BEEF: AGRICULTURE CHIEF SOLICITS SUPPORT OF BUSINESS COMMUNITY
Chief Agricultural Officer Dr. Arthur Peterson wants to see
the local business community working more in partnership with
the Department on a new Beef Initiative programme. He introduced
the initiative in convincing style as he addressed the March
21st monthly general luncheon meeting of the BVI Chamber of Commerce
and Hotel Association (BVICCHA), held at the Prospect Reef Resort.
To prove that local beef can match the high standards of imported
beef, guests were served "BVI homegrown, grass fed, mad
cow free, foot and mouth disease free local beef" for appetizer
and again for the main course. They were only told afterwards
that it was local beef and there were no complaints!
Dr. Peterson presented his passion for agriculture to the territory's
businessmen and women. "The success of farming in this territory
depends on people like yourself really buying in (and) I'm looking
for a long time intimate relationship with you on behalf of the
farming community. He said the farmers need the business community
to open up a market for their product.
The Chief Agricultural Officer said he is quite impressed
with the level of agricultural activity taking place around the
BVI. He said this clearly speaks to a determined set of people.
In spite of all the hardships that farmers here have to endure,
they continue to produce and produce; for that, I always have
to salute the hardworking farmers of the community.
He said local farmers have complained that no one would buy their
beef. Yet when I checked the records at the ports of entry, I
found that the BVI imports in excess of a million pounds
of beef a year; so folks, something is wrong. The farmers need
to get a piece of that action.
Dr. Peterson said Department officials then set about approaching various hotels to find out why they weren't buying local beef. He said they heard concerns ranging from poor quality, not being able to get certain prime cuts, the animals eat trash, they come from hilly terrain so they have a lot of muscle and the meat is tough, inconsistency and the slow rate of production to that the meat is not USDA inspected.
I find that to be just excuses because I think no one really is looking for the opportunities that are there in terms of pushing the beef product, he stated. He countered that BVI farmers are very business-friendly and are prepared to take on the challenge, once the opportunity is created.
The Chief Agricultural Officer announced that the Department
of Agriculture now has a capable, trained meat inspector at the
plant, Phillip Deveaux, Veterinary Assistant. He said they also
got a group of farmers together who are willing to sell their
cattle through the Department and the potential also now exists
to offer de-boned beef.
He said they met with a lot of enthusiasm from many of the potential
purchasers and the Department is expecting to move this Beef
Initiative programme forward. "The problem that we have
right now is not that we don't have enough beef to sell, it's
that we need more markets to sell it."
Dr. Peterson said residents here could rest assured that they can eat local beef and not have to worry about concerns being expressed on the international market. He said all effort is made to ensure that the animals imported have a certain baseline health standard to keep out and prevent these diseases from coming here.
"I really encourage you to give the Department of Agriculture a chance through its beef initiative programme to be your supplier and let us form an intimate relationship, so that when you think of beef, the only thing I want to hear is the phone at the Agriculture Department ringing to fill your orders," he concluded.
"He admitted that the Department has its challenges in
terms of creating marketing opportunities, training of farmers
in canning, processing, drying, freezing etc. =93We are mandated
by law to seek out opportunities for the farmers which will keep
them continuously benefiting financially from their agricultural
operations."
The Chief Agricultural Officer said he commits the resources
of the Department of Agriculture to this.
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