President sees bright future ahead of local agriculture sector
President Donald Ramotar, with the help of Minister within the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr  Alli Baksh, observes an age-old custom to mark the official opening of the GLDA Veterinary Services Laboratory at Mon Repos
President Donald Ramotar, with the help of Minister within the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Alli Baksh, observes an age-old custom to mark the official opening of the GLDA Veterinary Services Laboratory at Mon Repos

–with official opening of state-of-the-art veterinary laboratory

HAVING a facility to deal specifically with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of animal diseases will not just boost the economy, but also enhance local food security. 
This is according to President Donald Ramotar, who made the observation yesterday at the formal opening of the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA)’s Veterinary Services Laboratory at Mon Repos, on the

President Donald Ramotar and entourage being given a tour of the new laboratory by Manager Designate, Dr. Dane Hartley (second right)
President Donald Ramotar and entourage being given a tour of the new laboratory by Manager Designate, Dr. Dane Hartley (second right)

East Coast Demerara.
The state-of-the-art facility, which costs an estimated $326M, is fully equipped with world-class equipment and testing apparatuses.
Addressing top agricultural specialists, farmers, diplomats and Agriculture Ministry staffers, the President said that the construction of the laboratory is yet another indication of the sector’s advancement towards the achievement of local food security.
He also called for a change of image for the sector, in light of science and technology’s increasing role in moving agriculture forward. He noted that with countries such as China developing with a much larger middle class, there would be a demand for more animal products.
“There is growing health consciousness and awareness and recognition of health, and we have a responsibility to our own people and to those people who will be exporting products, that our products are safe and they do not have any diseases,” the Head of State said.
The issue of trust is very important, hence the importance of the lab, particularly to satisfy the efforts of exporters to foreign markets, the president noted.

The newly-commissioned GGLDA Veterinary Services Laboratory at Mon Repos
The newly-commissioned GGLDA Veterinary Services Laboratory at Mon Repos

With an average food import bill of around US$4 billion annually, the country will be poised to take advantage of this niche market by offering the assurance of quality via the services offered at the lab. He noted the scares of diseases such a mad cow and animal borne tuberculosis, and said the country has to ensure it is not affected by these or any other diseases.
The private sector was also urged, by the Head of State to take advantage of the new facility, and find ways to increase their own packaging capability and even abattoir facilities to take advantage of potential regional and international markets.
Delivering brief remarks Minister within the Agriculture Ministry Alli Baksh, said the facility will be a welcome boost to the agriculture sector which has seen massive improvements over the last two decades. It will not only increase production, the minister added, but also the quality of animal products, whilst enabling closer regional collaboration via similar facilities thereby boosting research capacity.
Chief Executive Officer of the GLDA, Dr. Dindyal Permaul gave an insight into the facility’s background, explaining that the laboratory’s main aim was to protect consumers from diseases transmissible by livestock, and protect domestic agricultural production.
The facility was realised under the US $12.9 million, Agriculture Export Diversification Programme which encompassed several aspects such as agricultural diversification, enhancement of farm to access roads, livestock breeding programmes and several others.
Explaining some of the facility’s benefits, Manager Designate, Dr. Dane Hartley, said that with a recent United Nations study suggesting that the current rate of food production will need to be increased by 70% by 2050 to cope with the demands of an increasing human population, the demand for meat and other animal products will increase, and the lab will ensure that Guyana is poised to take advantage of this fact.
The increased demand for meat and meat products will boost the livelihood of small farmers, and by extension the local economy, Dr Hartley explained.

(GINA)

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