FAO funding livestock surveillance project
By Jonas Cullwick - Vanuatu Daily Post
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) will fund an animal surveillance project for Vanuatu.
The FAO Vanuatu Animal Disease Surveillance Project will last for four months and will cost $US100,000 or approximately Vt10 million.
FAO is working in partnership with the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) to bring our global expertise to the Pacific and to harness locally relevant skills and experience from SPC as the key implementing partner.
SPC will assist the Department of Livestock to implement the project, the aim of which is to put in place a system for animal surveillance for Vanuatu, especially for livestock.
Two officers from SPC — Dr. Ken Cakanasiga, the Acting Deputy Director of Land Resources Division, Trade and Agribusiness Program and Dr. Ilagi Puana, Animal Health and Production Adviser were in the country this month to initiate the project.
Dr. Cakanasinga and Dr. Puana announced FAO’s support for the project at a meeting held at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Livestock, and Biosecurity. Also present at the meeting were the First Political Adviser of the Ministry, Emily Tumukon, the Director of Livestock Department, Lonie Bong, Senior Livestock Officer, North Stevenson Boe, Principal Veterinary Officer for Vanuatu, Dr. Sina Moala, and Assistant FAO Representative for Vanuatu, Runte Likiafu.
Dr. Ilagi Puana outlined the project plan and four output areas to be achieved.
The first output is to review the animal health status of Vanuatu.
The second and main output is training. Dr. Puana said candidates have been selected and they will be trained to carry out the surveillance exercise.
“Part of the exercise will involve the participants doing a proper animal survey. There has never been a survey in a very, very long time,” Dr. Puana added. “If we are to improve export from livestock products, we need to survey. Therefore, although this project is small it is important for Vanuatu.”
The third output is to establish a work plan to follow, that will include an emergency response. It will involve establishing a system of reporting what officers find in the field find so that immediate action can be taken to deal with the situation.
The fourth is to produce some recommendations for FAO for future project areas of assistance for Vanuatu.
In her response, First Political Advisor Tumukon expressed the appreciation of the Ministry on behalf of the Minister, David Tosul and said the project is targeting an important area for Vanuatu. “When you talk about beef in the Pacific, Vanuatu comes up. So it is good to protect the industry, so that what we say is really what it is.”
“Now we say our beef is disease free but how can we justify this. We need a system. I will brief the Minister and hope that at the end of four months we will have something positive for Vanuatu. We want to increase our numbers not only for cattle, but also small livestock numbers,” Emily Tumukon added.
Jonas Cullwick, a former General Manager of the Vanuatu Broadcasting and Television Corporation, now a Senior Journalist with the Vanuatu Daily Post. Contact: [email protected].