ACCIDENTS and farm damage have been reduced around the country after the campaign against stray animals.
Assistant Minister for Agriculture Viam Pillay said the public was very responsive to the campaign which was undertaken by the ministry this year.
Mr Pillay said they had completed constructing pounds in the country and in the North.
“People are now aware of the need to restrain their livestock,” he said.
“As a result, accidents and damage of farms caused by strays have been greatly reduced.
“There were a high numbers of animals caught during the campaign, but I would not have the figures on the top of my head because we have to collate the numbers from the pounds in the three divisions.
“Of these, only a small proportion of livestock was reclaimed.”
When asked whether the campaign was being reviewed, Mr Pillay said the review was currently progressing.
Earlier, during the Cakaudrove Provincial Council meeting, representatives were advised that the campaign was being reviewed after complaints were received from members of the public.
Mr Pillay said he was not aware of the parts of the terms of the campaign being reviewed.
Government had allocated $1.37 million in the 2017-2018 National Budget to address the stray animal issue across the country.
Agriculture Minister Inia Seruiratu said in Parliament in March that the seriousness of the stray animal issue could be measured by the increase of more than $1.3m over previous allocations which normally hovered around $60,000.
