In 1988, the Caroni News Issue (No. 6) asked the public this question. “Did you know that Caroni now has 964 buffalypso animals, and plans to sell 45,000 kgs of beef in 1988? Did you know that the company has 987 hectares under beef pasture and development, and is planning to expand the herd to 2000 adult animals and to supply local fresh meat markets and that the company supplies breeding stock for the local and export markets?”
It was a boast of optimism – a far cry from what exists today – and there is something wrenching at the prospects facing an industry that once held so much promise. The majority of the herd, virtually running wild now at Mora Valley, are infected with Brucellosis, and are earmarked for slaughter. But as happens in these matters of life and death, there are those who oppose it.
A group comprising vets, historians and others are planning a symposium at The UWI in early June to discuss the plight of the Buffalypso. This Special Report by UWI TODAY Editor, Vaneisa Baksh looks at the past, the present and the future of the Buffalypso.
This solitary Buffalypso was photographed by Nandita Rastogi on March 17, 2018 at the State-owned Mora Valley Farm in Rio Claro. (Click Here for Full Story)
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