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SecondThe government’s chief veterinarian has called for more livestock veterinarians in Albania, warning that a shortage of large animal vets poses a major threat to the agricultural sector.
Chief Veterinary Officer Dr. Mark Trotman confirmed to Barbados Today the concerns raised by Barbados Agricultural Society (BAS) Chief Executive Officer James Paul regarding the shortage of large animal practitioners and its impact on farmers.
He said the problem was not a lack of graduates entering the industry, but rather that they preferred the more lucrative pet industry.
“Barbados has several veterinarians who specialize in livestock medicine, and they are very good, but there are not enough of them,” Trotman said. “There is a shortage of large animal veterinarians, and they lack people who are willing to specialize or focus on large animal medicine.”
The chief veterinary officer explained that while the Ministry of Agriculture’s veterinary services department provides regulatory and supervisory functions, it does not provide clinical services for animal treatment. This leaves farmers to rely on private veterinarians, of which there are too few who specialize in livestock care.
Trotman also supported Paul’s complaint, arguing that the shortage of pet care is related to the more profitable pet care industry.
“Companion animal clinics are more profitable than larger clinics,” he said. “Veterinarians in companion animal clinics are often able to use their medical and surgical skills more effectively than in larger animal clinics, which is obviously a more cost-effective practice.”
To boost sagging milk production, dairy farmers have begun importing cattle from Canada, and Paul said more large animal veterinarians are needed to manage the imported heifers.
“A big problem that Barbados faces is a shortage of large animal vets,” he said. “A lot of the vets today are basically fresh out of school, and a lot of them are just interested in pets. What Barbados needs is more large animal vets.”
To address this issue, Trotman recommends that BAS and the veterinary community develop programs to attract young medical students to animal husbandry practice.
“The veterinary profession needs to work hard to encourage young veterinary students to focus on large animal practice rather than just companion animal practice,” he said.
Although Barbados prefers a homegrown solution, the government’s chief veterinarian admitted that Barbados may need to consider bringing in veterinarians from abroad to address the immediate shortage.
“They may have to go because farmers are struggling due to a lack of qualified veterinary support and they need to acquire that skill set,” he said.
He stressed that there is no shortage of new veterinary talents, with the University of the West Indies School of Veterinary Medicine graduating every year. Trotman believes the challenge is to encourage these graduates to specialize in large animal medicine.
“We need to find a way to make large animal medicine more attractive to students,” Trotman concluded, stressing the urgent need for action to support Barbadian agriculture. sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb
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