-says importation of cattle from Brazil is `backdoor deal’
The importation of cattle from Brazil for slaughter at the Onverwagt abattoir “stinks with corruption” and is a “backdoor deal” that does not benefit Guyanese, APNU Region Five Member of Parliament Vinceroy Jordan said yesterday.
Responding to questions from Kiskadee Watch, Jordan said the Ministry of Agriculture and the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) had failed to adequately explain the arrangement under which cattle from Brazil have been processed at the Region Five facility.
“In short, the entire Brazil/Guyana cattle arrangement stinks with corruption and is a backdoor deal that does not benefit the people of Guyana,” he said.
The issue first came to public attention last week after Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed posted a video on Facebook in which he described repeated visits to the Onverwagt abattoir over several days and described it as an “$800 million white elephant.” He said that cattle was being brought from Brazil under cover of darkness, slaughtered at the facility and sold on the local market while local cattle farmers derived little benefit from the project.
The GLDA subsequently rejected allegations that cattle were being secretly imported for the benefit of public officials but acknowledged that Brazilian cattle had been processed at the facility.
“Since becoming operational, the abattoir has produced approximately 111,650 kilograms of carcass beef, utilizing cattle supplied mainly by farmers from Regions Four, Five, Six, Nine and Ten, with limited quantities originating from (Bonfim), Brazil, through approved and lawful channels,” the authority said.
The GLDA also stated: “Particularly irresponsible are allegations that cattle are being secretly imported from Brazil for the benefit of public officials. These are serious accusations for which no evidence has been presented.”
Failed
Jordan yesterday argued that the approximately $800 million abattoir was “severely underutilized” and had failed to meet the needs of cattle farmers in Region Five.
“It is my profound view that the abattoir is severely underutilized,” he said, adding that the project experienced delays and cost overruns during construction.
According to Jordan, inadequate policies, regulations and support for farmers have contributed to the facility’s underuse.
“The abattoir is severely underutilized as a result of a lack of policy, regulation, and support for farmers,” he said, adding that many livestock farmers remain unaware of the procedures required to use the facility or lack the resources needed for transportation, cold storage and documentation.
“It is my clear view that the abattoir does not serve people of Region 5. It doesn’t meet the needs in creating an opportunity for healthier and more hygienic meat processing,” he added.
Jordon further alleged that successive concerns raised by the opposition over the importation of cattle from Brazil had not been adequately addressed.
“This government has always been fully aware of meat and cattle coming from Brazil to be slaughtered in Guyana as it was raised by the opposition during the 2020 to 2025 period,” he said.
He argued that the practice undermined local cattle farmers.
“Apart from the risk of the importation of unhealthy cattle and meat from Brazil to Guyana, this practice also severely dents the local market and has affected farmers and those who are engaged in cattle rearing and the selling of beef. It affects the pricing and profit for local farmers and those selling the meat,” he said.
Jordan also questioned why the cattle was not being slaughtered closer to the Guyana-Brazil border.
“The Ministry of Agriculture and the Guyana Livestock Development Authority have many secrets regarding the importation of cattle from Brazil. I firmly believe this practice should cease, and the ministry should develop what we have here locally and better provide for all our farmers so as to enhance our food production drive,” he said.
Renewed
And yesterday Mohamed renewed his criticism of the Onverwagt abattoir in a Facebook post.
“Local cattle farmers suffer major losses as the newly built $800 million abattoir serves no purpose for our local cattle farmers,” Mohamed wrote.
He added that, despite what he said were government promises to purchase cattle locally for export, “To date cattle farmers said the Onverwagt abattoir never purchase animals from them.”
Following his statement, Kiskadee Watch submitted a series of questions on June 24 to GLDA head Dr Dwight Waldron seeking clarification on the arrangement.
This publication asked: “Exactly how many cattle have been imported from Brazil and processed at the Onverwagt abattoir since it became operational? Who imported those cattle, and what percentage of the abattoir’s total throughput do they represent? Can the GLDA identify the companies or individuals responsible for importing the cattle and indicate who ultimately purchased or benefited from the meat produced from those animals?”
Up to yesterday, no response had been received.
Discussion