- St. Vincent Introduces Angus Cattle to Strengthen Livestock Industry
St Vincent and the Grenadines has introduced the red and black angus beef cattle to increase the productivity of its national herd.
SVG is currently the largest exporter of live animals in the OECS, with its main market in Grenada. Jude Jack a Grenadian businessman has exported millions of dollars worth of animals over the last 10 years.
SVG had a thriving dairy industry in the 1970s to 1980s. During this period many local farmers benefited from breeds of cattle imported by the Government. The island also boasted of having a national dairy plant – Diamond Dairy.
Deputy Chief Agriculture Officer and lead technician on the World Bank financed agriculture enhancement project for food security, Mr. Colville King, expressed his satisfaction with the quality of the animals.
Hon. Saboto Caesar, noted that in the year 2025 there will be an even more robust approach to expanding cattle production in SVG. “I take this opportunity to thank the technical staff of the Ministries of Finance and Agriculture, the Cattle Farmers Association, cattle farmers across the country, the Butchers Association and other value chain stakeholders for their hard work and dedication over the years to ensure that we have a national herd of excellent quality”, stated Minister Caesar.
A regulatory framework discussion was raised at the Cabinet Budget planning discussion for 2025. The Butchers Association reviewed the issue of a difficulty in finding cattle for purchase.
60 heads of cattle and 40 pigs were recently exported to Grenada for consumption over the Christmas period 2024. The Minister commented that cattle production forms a critical part of the post- Banana Industry diversification success.
