[Photo: FILE]

Farmers are facing serious losses from stray animals, wild pigs, horses, and livestock damaging their crops, and they worry the current response system is failing.

Standing Committee on Economic Affairs Deputy Chair Premila Kumar says farmers in Lomawai, Sigatoka, had to round up stray livestock themselves, but the animals escaped before Agriculture officers arrived, leaving farmers to bear the losses.

Kumar says a faster response system, including a dedicated helpline and nearby agriculture officers, is needed so farmers can receive immediate help when stray animals damage their crops.

Kumar adds that the current system, including livestock poundage, must be improved as complaints continue to rise.

“Whatever your legislation is allowing you to do, but I think there has to be a quick sort of helpline or some kind of mechanism where they can make a call and the nearest staff can attend to them. Some mechanism got to be there, but the current mechanism is definitely not working, considering the number of complaints we received.”

Permanent Secretary for Agriculture Dr. Andrew Tukana says the Brands and Pounds Act is being reviewed to give authorities more power to quickly capture stray livestock and prevent them from returning to farms.

“And just to try and review those acts to give, for example, the peers and the minister more powers to make quick decisions. Because even at the moment we have this issue of, we have brucellosis, bovine brucellosis, and bovine tuberculosis happening in Fiji in cattle.”

Dr. Tukana adds that the Ministry wants a faster reporting system so farmers can alert authorities when large numbers of cattle or horses roam their areas.

The Ministry maintains that stronger laws and a faster response system are necessary to protect farmers from further losses caused by stray animals.