The Tailevu Dairy Farmers Co-op Association Limited will be looking at other ways to make profit next year.

This was discussed at the Annual General Meeting yesterday at Cakobau House in Nausori.

According to the chairman, Joseva Serulagilagi, the company had to remove more than 100 of their cattle as they were infected with tuberculosis.

He added that the issue has been brought to the attention of the Ministry of Agriculture and they are still waiting for a solution to address it.

Previously, the company had around 195 ‘milking cows’ but after the disease had struck their farms, the company was left with 80 cows.

This has affected the milk production drastically.

In total, the company has 339 cattle in Tailevu.

Last year, a total of $77 000 of dividends was paid to the shareholders, but two months ago, a total of $66 000 of dividends was paid.

Despite this, Mr Serulagilagi said the shareholders are happy as long as they are getting dividends.

“We do not complain, because we are getting our money.

“What is important is that at the end, we get our bonus,” he said.

There are more than 200 shareholders in the company.

“What the shareholders want to do now is find other ways of getting money through poultry farming, dalo farming and so on.

“We want to turn to other things now,” he said.

When asked whether they will bring in new cattle, Mr Serulagilagi said the Ministry of Agriculture had prevented them from doing so because their herd is infected with tuberculosis.

In response to complaints from some dairy farmers regarding the low price paid for their produce, Mr Serulagilagi said: “The farmers complaining are the small ones. What is important is that the farmers work hard in order to increase their production.”

Minister of Agriculture Inia Seruiratu said: “What kind of solution do they want?

“There is no medicine to cure tuberculosis.”

He said if the Ministry detects that the cattle has tuberculosis, then the only solution is to “carve” the animal.

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