-Minister urges investors to get on board
In an effort to increase revenue and expand the export market, the Ministry of Agriculture is in the implementation phase of the cattle diversification programme which should see the exportation of beef on a large scale. Issuing a call to investors to get on board and urging participants to consider themselves the core of the operation, Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud said the project has already been proven to be very lucrative.
The minister was speaking at the inaugural meeting of the beef cluster working group facilitated by the Agriculture Sector Diversification Unit (ASDU).
Minister Persaud assured that support for poultry, sheep and other category of farmers will not be affected by the beef industry expansion.
However, based on research and market surveys, beef and aquaculture has been found to produce the earliest yields and returns, the Agriculture Minister said.
“We are tapping into a vibrant and lucrative export market and this is the first comprehensive diversification project. Globally, meat consumption has gone up in the last 20 years, so the demand is there.”
The minister added that Guyana’s reality presents tremendous opportunity since severe constraints, including weather, has plagued production in other countries.
Beyond the deliverables, the ministry has started work on the composition of the Livestock Development Authority that is to function as the governing body under which the sector will be managed.
Minister Persaud admonished stakeholders about the importance of maintaining the integrity of Guyana’s animal health while chastising those who spread panic about animal diseases.
“Animal health can break an export drive because if our animals are sick, countries would not want to import beef from here. There were some persons who were drawing a correlation between the consumption of pork and the swine flu and that affected our pig industry,” Minister Persaud stated.
The project is expected to see the construction of a state of the art abattoir, the importation of improved genetic breeds, and the reduction in the age of slaughtered animals.(GINA)