Some 100 breeding animals were distributed to livestock farmers from across the country at the Guyana Livestock Development Authority, Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara last Friday.
The exercise, which is a part of the Ministry of Agriculture’s Breed Enhancement Programme to develop the livestock industry, saw Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud spearheading the distribution.
Persaud said the distribution exercise was part of government’s effort to promote greater efficiency in this sector, with the goal of greater production and productivity to tap into the growing regional and international markets. “We are the only country within Caricom that can be considered sufficient in this regard. But we now have to move to the next level and in doing so… make that transformation… .”
The minister said that with the implementation of hydropower, processing can be done, since market returns would be greater than that of raw and unprocessed meat products.
Also, the Animal Health Bill is set to be presented shortly, as significant investments continue to be made so as to ensure that advanced technologies are implemented into the agriculture sector.
This, along with the soon to be constructed state-of-the-art laboratory, is an effort to have this sector modernized, Persaud said. “Cabinet has also agreed to transfer 10 acres of land at Coldingen for the construction of a state-of-the-art abattoir which would also include a meat processing facility. Our existing facility at Georgetown is inadequate. If we are to become a lead exporter we need to have the type of facility that is certified by both US and European standard.”
US$1 million has been earmarked for the construction of the facility with the support of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the private sector.
In addition, both small and large scale livestock farmers have been gaining major benefits from the genetic stocks, such as embryo and semen, which have been sourced to further complement the programme. “Our goal is to have livestock at the level that we have rice and sugar in terms of income and its contribution to national development and opportunities to our people and that is where we are heading in the long term,” Persaud sated.
Board Chairman Patrick Degroot stated that the government can take pride in knowing that a structured breeding programme over the years has been developed. He also encouraged farmers to heed advice from technical officers with regard to proper animal husbandry.
Also present at the event were Chef Executive Officer of the GLDU, Dindyal Permaul; Chief Livestock Officer, Dr Dwight Waldron and Director of the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), Dr Oudho Homenauth.
