‘My bread and butter gone’

Senior Investigative Reporter

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Five days after his entire herd of pigs was culled and buried due to an outbreak of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), Wallerfield farmer Brian Maturine says he is still waiting on word from the Ministry of Agriculture about compensation to restart his business.

On Wednesday, more than 250 pigs, valued at $700,000, were destroyed by the ministry to prevent the highly contagious disease from spreading to other farms. The pigs tested positive on July 21, and the farm was immediately designated an infected zone. Disposal of the animals was carried out at a secure location under strict biosecurity protocols.

PRRS affects the reproductive and respiratory systems of pigs, causing abortions in sows, death in piglets, fever, loss of appetite and respiratory distress. While the disease poses no threat to humans or food safety, it can spread quickly via contaminated footwear, clothing, equipment or vehicles.

For Maturine, the loss was devastating.

“These last few weeks were stressful for me. I ain’t go lie to tell you water come out of my eyes when they killed my pigs because since I leave secondary school, I never worked for anyone. I started small with my pig farm and grew it into a business over the years,” he told the Sunday Guardian.

“It was a hard blow for me to see my investment and hard work go down the drain because of this disease.”

Maturine said he is eager to restart his farm but has no idea what compensation package, if any, he will receive.

“I still don’t know what position I’m in. My back is against the wall. Nobody from the ministry has put forward an offer. They are just saying they will give me something. But I don’t know what is the something. They are not moving professionally at all. To me, this is a waiting game,” he said.

“This is my livelihood … my bread and butter.”

The farm had been under quarantine for almost two months, during which Maturine continued to feed and care for the infected animals without any financial support.

“I didn’t ask them for a dollar and they did not offer a dollar,” he said.

Since the outbreak, the farmer has depleted his small savings to cover bills, three loans, and support his family. His monthly loan payments total $9,000.

“The banks I’m dealing with are private. They don’t want to hear my problems. All they are concerned about is their money. In a few days, it will be month end … how am I going to pay my instalments and bills when my pockets are empty?” he asked.

Maturine said the upcoming Christmas season, usually the busiest period for pig sales, now looks bleak.

“I can’t do anything without money and a new herd.”

At a meeting with Wallerfield pig farmers last month, Agriculture Minister Ravi Ratiram promised government support to help cover their losses and repopulate their farms.

“We would not turn our backs and walk away,” Ratiram assured the farmers at the time.

However, when contacted via WhatsApp yesterday about compensation for Maturine, Ratiram did not respond.

What is PRRS? (Put in box)

Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) is a viral disease that affects pigs.

Impact on pigs:

Causes abortions, stillbirths and weak piglets in sows

Leads to fever, poor appetite, respiratory distress, and high death rates in piglets

Weakens older pigs, making them vulnerable to other infections

Transmission:

Spreads rapidly through contact with infected pigs

Can also spread via contaminated footwear, clothing, vehicles, or farm equipment

Human risk:

PRRS does not affect humans and poses no threat to food safety

Economic impact:

Causes heavy financial losses for farmers due to high mortality, reduced productivity, and mandatory culling of infected herds

Control measures:

Quarantine of infected farms

Culling and safe disposal of infected animals

Strict biosecurity protocols, including disinfection of equipment and restricted farm access