Livestock Owners Urged to Document and Submit Losses to RADA

#Kingston, Jamaica, July 5, 2024 – The Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) is encouraging livestock owners to take pictures of their losses and submit them to the entity to facilitate damage assessments.

Senior RADA Livestock Officer, Maxine Brown, says farmers should not bury their animals without first carefully documenting losses.

“Sometimes they bury the animals very quickly and then there’s no evidence to say that, yes, you had suffered these losses. So we want you to document the loss that you have suffered,” she told JIS News, while reiterating the importance of farmers registering with RADA.

“When you’re registered, we more or less can confirm that, yes, you are a particular type of farmer, you are known to have that quantity of chickens or other types of animals, and so it makes your claim a bit easier,” the officer said.

Meanwhile, livestock farmers are also being urged to administer first aid to their animals as part of their recovery efforts. Ms. Brown said they should have a first aid kit to administer treatment as needed.

“If they… assess any sort of minor damage to the animals, they can start to do some preparatory work, like spraying, as well as administering vitamins and minerals,” she explained.

Ms. Brown said animals sustaining injuries during Hurricane Beryl’s passage may require veterinary interventions based on the extent of the wounds or how they were otherwise affected.

Special attention should be paid to pregnant animals, new mothers and their offspring.

“Animals could have been kidding (giving birth) at that point in time. So you have to check the mothers to see that they are… still up and about that they’re feeding the young ones. You may have to buy milk replacers for some animals, such as your calves, to feed them while the mother recuperates,” Ms. Brown said.

Contact: Twila Wheelan

Release: JIS