Holding of Mnarja livestock show in balance for lack of judges

An issue which has been brewing for years over who was to judge livestock at the Mnarja agriculture festival erupted this week, putting into balance the holding of the festival at Buskett on Saturday.

Traditionally, judging has been carried out by government veterinarians and livestock technicians. Judges are not paid for their work.

The Agrarian Society, organisers of the fair for the past 158 years, was till yesterday awaiting confirmation of a list of persons who would act as judges on Saturday, Joseph Borg president of the Agrarian Society said when contacted.

Mr Borg said that his society had been expressing concern because year after year, there were fewer and fewer judges. About 20 judges would be required to judge livestock.

"Without judges it would be impossible to carry out the livestock show which includes horses, cattle, sheep, goats and pigs among others," Mr Borg said.

The question of whether enough judges would be available this year has been compounded by the fact that one of the vets would be getting married on Saturday morning. The vet's colleagues would be attending the wedding, Lino Vella, chief government veterinary officer said when contacted.

Dr Vella said that veterinary support officers would be attending the Mnarja fair on Saturday to assist in the judging.

"For a long time we have been spelling out the point to the Agrarian Society that veterinarians are not judges.

"There are veterinarians who, during the course of their work do not come into contact with large animals such a horses. Apart from this, there are government vets whose work merely involves checking meat at the abattoir.

"Vets know very little about breeds and judging should be left to those competent in this subject, such as zoo technicians. Technicians would be in a much better position to act as judges because they are conversant with artificial insemination and genetics," Dr Vella said.

Mr Borg, however, disagreed with this point of view, saying vets could judge the health of the exhibits and any physical defect they might have.

"Breed does not come into it at all, particularly when one takes into account the widespread inter breeding that goes on regularly.

"When one judges beauty contests for humans, judges do not go into the genetics of the contestants. The same principle applies in the case of animals," Mr Borg said.

Dr Vella also pointed out that vets often experienced a conflict of interest with those exhibitors that they visited during the year.

"It is extremely embarrassing to know exhibitors on first name basis and then be placed in the position of judging their livestock and award prizes," Dr Vella said.

Other organisers such as the rabbit club and the fancy poultry society brought over foreign judges while there are other people in Malta who are competent enough to act as judges, leaving vets out of it, Dr Vella said.

However, Mr Borg said it was financially impossible for the Agrarian Society to bring in foreign judges. The society got a subsidy from the Ministry of Agriculture to help it with the organisation of the Mnarja fair but the subsidy was just enough to cover the cost of trophies and the purchase of clerical services.

"The society sent out calls to other persons including breeders to act as judges but they turned down our invitation," said Mr Borg.

Asked whether such invitations were turned down because the society offered no remuneration, Mr Borg said that none of these people referred to remuneration.

Mr Borg said vets judged livestock as a team, rather than individually, so that they would be saved from embarrassing moments from those exhibitors who failed to qualify "in an island where everyone knows everyone else".