3 weeks ago
5
Senior Investigative Reporter
More than 250 pigs will have to be culled and buried following T&T’s first confirmed case this year of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), the Ministry of Agriculture has confirmed.
The affected animals belong to Wallerfield farmer Brian Maturine, whose herd tested positive for the highly contagious swine disease on July 21. The confirmation came just weeks after the ministry announced the detection of PRRS in early July. Last year, the disease was found on a farm in south Trinidad.
The latest case was confirmed one day after ministry officials met with Wallerfield pig farmers to discuss strategies to eradicate PRRS. Present at the meeting were Sport Minister and La Horquetta/Talparo MP Phillip Watts, Agriculture Minister Ravi Ratiram, and a team of veterinary officers led by Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Lisa Musai.
Wallerfield, home to more than 40 pig farmers, is a key hub in the local pork industry. There are over 100 registered pig farmers nationwide.
In a letter to Maturine, Dr Musai confirmed that his farm had been designated an infected zone and that all 264 pigs—valued at $700,000—would be destroyed as part of a containment strategy.
“After careful consideration, it has been determined that depopulation of your farm is the ideal elimination strategy,” the letter stated. Vaccination, she said, was not an option at this stage due to the limited spread and the World Organisation of Animal Health (WOAH) rules that would prevent T&T from claiming PRRS-free status if vaccines were used.
The ministry’s plan includes depopulation, carcass disposal, and disinfection, followed by a resting period before restocking. Movement of animals in and out of the infected zone is prohibited.
While samples from another Wallerfield farmer, Wayne Bowen, initially triggered a quarantine, his herd later tested negative.
PRRS—also known as “blue ear disease”—affects the reproductive and respiratory systems of pigs, causing abortions in sows, death in piglets, fever, loss of appetite, and respiratory distress. It poses no threat to humans or food safety, but can be spread via contaminated footwear, clothing, equipment, or vehicles, and can cause significant economic losses.
Frustration over delays
Maturine told Guardian Media he was “at his wits’ end,” saying the ministry was still searching for a burial site for the pigs two weeks after his positive test.
“They have to eat. If they ain’t eat, they will start to fight and kill one another. I am under real pressure… I can’t sell the pigs. I can’t do business. It’s been a month since the farm was put on lockdown,” he said.
He criticised the ministry for not securing a disposal site before calling the meeting with farmers.
“They are looking real unprofessional. Everything is on a standstill right now,” he said.
Bowen also expressed anger, calling the situation a national emergency. “I don’t know why they still have these sick animals in the community. Like they waiting for an outbreak before they do something.”
At the meeting, Ratiram urged farmers not to buy smuggled pigs, warning it could “cost you your entire farm” and devastate the entire industry. He said Cabinet had recently established an emergency relief fund to help affected farmers recover.
“We would not turn our backs and walk away,” Ratiram assured.
However, some farmers remain pessimistic. Solomon Aguillera said poor rearing practices had left the sector vulnerable. “As far as I see, this industry is in trouble,” he said.
Maturine was blunt: “The whole industry is just crashing.”
Ratiram told Guardian Media the pig industry was “in good hands.” However, a subsequent WhatsApp message sent to the minister about Maturine’s case went unanswered.
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