Minister of Agriculture Israel Bruce says the government has effectively halted the shipment of live cattle and other livestock to Grenada.
He argued that St. Vincent and the Grenadines is “not in the best position” to continue the practice and must first secure local supply, protect downstream livelihoods, and strengthen enforcement against livestock theft.
Speaking on NBC Radio, Bruce linked the suspension of live animal exports to concerns from butchers, small food entrepreneurs, and farmers, as well as the government’s broader agenda to develop a modern abattoir, improve meat quality standards, and crack down on praedial larceny.
“I am squarely of the view that we are not in the best position at this moment to get involved in or to continue the practice of shipping live animals across to Grenada,” Bruce said, adding that there is now “a halt on that programme”.
Livelihoods hit by live exports
The export of live cattle to Grenada began under the previous Unity Labour Party administration.
It continued despite repeated complaints about the impact of the practice on the availability of local beef and beef products on the market, especially during times of high demand.
Bruce, who was among New Democratic Party MPs elected to office in November, acknowledged that the previous flow of live animals out of the country had knock-on effects throughout the local meat supply chain.
He cited the example of small burger vendors who were sourcing meat from a popular butcher at Gun Hill, who in turn relied on a steady supply of local cattle.
Once the butcher could no longer access enough animals for slaughter, young vendors lost their income streams, and the butcher lost market opportunities in Mustique, where he had been supplying meat, the agriculture minister said.
Bruce suggested that this experience showed how unregulated or poorly managed exports of live animals can undermine local businesses and food security, especially when domestic production is limited.
“This is not something that I believe that we could sustain at this point in time,” he said.
From live exports to local processing: abattoir proposal
In place of live exports, Bruce is pushing an abattoir-centred model aimed at guaranteeing meat quality standards for local consumers and creating scope for future regional and international exports of processed meat.
The proposed abattoir also aims to strengthen traceability and enforcement against livestock theft and support the local livestock economy and organised farmers’ groups.
Bruce said he has already met with the Butchers’ Association and, as of the day before the interview, held talks with the Cattle Farmers and Producers Association of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (CFPA), where the issue of live shipment to Grenada “came squarely on the table”.
“An abattoir is not just a facility where we bring the animals for slaughter,” Bruce said.
“It is a facility that will guarantee us standards of the meat that goes out into the marketplace for local consumption, and, if we verge into the regional and international market, [it] will be a facility that helps us to support our own production on the ground.”
He said the abattoir would also “threaten praedial larceny”, because properly regulated slaughter and sale would make it harder for thieves to dispose of stolen animals.
Bruce told listeners he expects to present a formal proposal to Cabinet in the coming weeks on establishing an abattoir, framing it as a key step in restructuring the livestock sector.
Tackling livestock theft
Bruce linked the pause on live animal exports to a wider, multi-pronged strategy targeting livestock theft, which farmers have long complained is eroding their livelihoods.
He disclosed that there are ongoing inter-ministerial discussions between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of National Security on how to “move assiduously, swiftly” to implement the existing Praedial Larceny Act.
The government is awaiting input from a local company on farm equipment and devices that can help to identify and monitor thieves on farms.
A traceability law is currently before the Attorney General, aimed initially at livestock and later potentially at crops, to ensure animals can be tracked and traced through the value chain, the minister said.
Bruce said that the rise in farm theft is linked to weak enforcement.
“One of the fundamental challenges that we have … is that the thievery that is happening on your farms is because there has been a slacking or a lacking of the enforcement of the predella city [praedial larceny] act.”
He reiterated a political commitment given on the campaign trail last year.
“I told the thieves during the election campaign that with a New Democratic Party government elected and myself being appointed Minister of Agriculture, I will make restless the praedial larcenists. The journey has begun.”
Bruce framed the coming measures as protective of both farmers and legitimate meat traders, saying that once an abattoir and traceability systems are in place, “the thief will have nobody to sell the stolen animals to”.