DAIRY and beef cattle farmers yesterday asked the government to place import restrictions on imported milk powder and meat, similar to measures taken in support of chicken producers last week.

The Jamaica Livestock Association (JLA), the umbrella organisation of dairy and beef cattle farmers, said after a board meeting yesterday that placing higher duties on imported milk powder and beef would save Jamaican farmers, many of whom have had to close their farms and slaughter their dairy herds.

“As a matter of fact, the slaughtering of a large percentage of the capital herd is putting the Jamaican breeds close to extinction,” the JLA said in a late afternoon statement.

Agriculture Minister Roger Clarke last Thursday announced a 260 per cent duty regime on imported chicken, excluding necks and backs. Imported carrots, lettuce, cabbage and tomatoes now also attract a 260 per cent duty.

The increased duties, Clarke said, will be inclusive of 100 per cent common external tariff and 80 per cent additional stamp duty.

Clarke said the high duties, which took effect on Monday, would not continue indefinitely, and urged poultry farmers to share resources and common experiences with regional colleagues to reduce the cost of production for the sustainability of the industry.

But the JLA said yesterday that cattle farmers should not be treated any less than poultry farmers for whom, it said, the government made a significant decision regarding the duties placed on the importation of chicken meat.

It said beef production has declined steadily over the past eight years due to cheaper imports and shrinking consumer demand.

“With annual beef consumption steadily at 15,500,000 kilograms per year, importation of meat has increased from eight per cent of beef consumption in 1985 to 46 per cent of beef consumption in 1999, forcing beef cattle farmers out of business,” the JLA said.

It noted, too, that dairy farmers have also seen a decline in milk production over the last three years as a result of the importation of competitive dairy products which benefit from favourable duty concessions.

“Currently, 18 per cent of dairy products are produced in Jamaica and the other 82 per cent from imported milk-related products,” the JLA said.

The association said the US$80-million dairy and beef industry has provided a stable source of employment for more than 60,000 people and has been a major source of income for rural communities that depend on livestock farming.