The Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) yesterday relaunched its artificial insemination (AI) in small ruminants programme.
A release from the Ministry of Agriculture said that the programme which formed part of the agency’s 2021 capital budget, included the procurement of laparoscopic equipment and training of staff after the agency would’ve signed a contract with Mini Tube Germany to the tune of $15 million.
While offering remarks at the exercise, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha said that aim of the programme was to modernize and strengthen small ruminant development in Guyana.
“This programme comes at a time when Guyana’s agriculture sector is taking precedence on the world stage. While artificial insemination in Guyana started in the 90s for dairy and beef, it was in 2011 that we commenced the importation of proven sires for beef. As we continued to diversify, the swine artificial insemination programme followed in 2016. Today we are here to re-launch artificial insemination (AI) in sheep and goats with the aim to modernize and strengthen small ruminant development in Guyana so that the sector can better meet the challenges of addressing food and nutrition security,” Mustapha said.
Mustapha added that over the next 12 months, the GLDA will be tasked with refocusing the programme with a view of increasing its AI offspring production target by 45% to 50%.
Acting Chief Executive Officer of GLDA Dr. Dwight Waldron said “The approach being utilized by GLDA is strategic meaning that it encompasses the procurement of high-class genetic breeding animals. We would then extract semen from those animals and process it in our genetic laboratory. There is also a component that includes the production aspect where we work with farmers to improve their production techniques and productivity levels. It’s not just a one-off where we give farmers access to the genetics and then the environment isn’t right for the genetics to express themselves,” Dr. Waldron explained.
