Dear Editor,
No chicken! No fish! This is the reality intermittently facing the Guyanese populace. The main supplier of poultry is focused on supplying Exxon and maybe its suppliers and this leaves an inadequate amount for the majority of citizens. We can expect another shortage at Christmas, that time of the year when the demand and desire are greatest. Are we going to be left to obtain protein only from plant-based products? It is said by nutritionists that these products, although excellent sources of protein, do not furnish us with amino acids (the building blocks of our bodies), which are found in animal protein. The fish population is being depleted through mining, exploration activities, other pollutants discarded into the seas and according to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), climate change.
A solution must be sought. One way is by the government using its resources of land and money either to create its own chicken farms or to encourage entrepreneurs to embark on these ventures, by offering lucrative incentives. It has been rumoured that the largest chicken producer in Barbados is of Guyanese origin. Why Barbados and not Guyana?
We need cities consisting solely of industries and manufacturing. In addition to distributing house lots, Government can give lots for chicken farms, businesses and offices, liaising with Banks for loans to support these ventures like is presently happening with the allocation of residential lots. This is particularly pertinent as we strive to become the breadbasket of the Caribbean.
Sincerely,
Conrad Barrow
