Poultry Producers talk Quality Products
In this region, Belizeans are one of the highest consumers of chicken. In fact, it is estimated that each person would consume between a hundred and five to a hundred and ten pounds of chicken meat per year. With that kind of statistics, a meeting of the Regional Technical Commission for Avian Health (CTRSA) took place today in which all seven Central American countries as well as Cuba discussed ways to eradicate poultry diseases in the region. Orlando Habet, the Manager of the Belize Poultry Association says that such meetings are important for the association and the Federation of Poultry Producers of Central America to ensure that wholesome products are provided to consumers.
Orlando Habet, Manager, Belize Poultry Association
“Today’s meeting is a meeting of the regional commission for poultry health in the region. It is an arm of OIRSA, which is the regional commission looking at agriculture health. This commission CTRSA, which is the Regional Technical Commission for Avian Health was formed by request from the Federation of Poultry Producers of Central America with the collaboration and assistance from OIRSA. What they basically do for example at this meeting, is they look at some of the regulations and standards which are the guidelines for the industry in terms of where we go towards eradicating poultry diseases. So it’s basically regulations that will form those guidelines and there is harmonized legislation from all the different countries. So instead of having legislation from each country, we’re trying to harmonize all the legislation from the various countries to come to one package that everybody can use because the intention is to eradicate poultry diseases or at least those of economic importance from all the countries in the region.”
Delahnie Bain
Orlando Habet
“And how is Belize doing in terms of that legislation and controlling poultry diseases?”
Orlando Habet
“Well, we’ve met in several meetings and I’m the manager for the association but the technical representatives are the veterinarians and we have veterinarians in that room right now who are members of the commission who will work on that legislation. We, for example we use BAHA legislation which looks at poultry diseases and we share it with those of the other countries which basically come from the ministry of agriculture and we try to harmonize those so that we are all looking at the same issues and the same steps. We try to see how we can, one prevent the entry of diseases and two, if there are any diseases then how to control those diseases and try also for it not to spread from one country to the next if that occasion would come up.”
Habet says that since the outbreak of Newcastle disease in Spanish Lookout two years ago, there have not been any economically damaging poultry diseases in Belize.
