Ministry of Agriculture& Lands – “I am delighted to be here to see so many things being given again by IICA; IICA is a true friend.”
Those were the words expressed by Minister for Agriculture, Hon Yolande-Bain Horsford, as she accepted, on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, safety equipment and products for use by the staff at the Mirabeau Abattoir, from the Inter- American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).
IICA, has over the years, made immense contribution to the development of the Agricultural Sector and for over two years has adopted the Mirabeau Abattoir, as most of its support has been thrown into the proper operation of the facility.
“IICA has been supporting Grenada for a long, long time and since I came into the Ministry, the amount of support we have had through training and other things, IICA has shown its true spirit of friendship to Grenada and we are delighted to get all these things from IICA, so that it can help you to do your work better,” Minister Bain-Horsford said to the Staff at the Mirabeau Abattoir.
First Aid Kits, specialised boots, coats, gloves, sanitizers and disinfectants were among some of the things given to the staff during a short ceremony, recently.
Having responsibility for Livestock in the Ministry, Acting Chief Veterinary and Livestock Officer, Dr. Kimmond Cummings, said over the years, “IICA has been supportive, and we at the Ministry would like to say thank you to IICA for the continuous support and we are looking forward to working with you as we move forward.”
National Specialist for IICA in Grenada is Mr. Derek Charles, who stated, that the material donated, came on the heels of an Agriculture Health and Food Safety Project, held in 2019, by IICA.
He said, “Occupational Safety and Health is very important to the staff at the Abattoir. Without the staff at the Abattoir, the Abattoir cannot function. We have not had an Abattoir like this before, where we had trained staff, you are the ones we are depending on and we value the work that you do and that is why we have purchased this equipment to ensure your safety in the workplace.”
Safety in the workplace is very important, he said, “for management of the Ministry of Agriculture, and also for IICA.”
As IICA continues to throw its support into functioning of the Mirabeau Abattoir, Charles noted, that 2020 will be the year where a Livestock Strategy will be developed for the Livestock Sector in Grenada.
