AGRICULTURE Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy announced that Guyana will be establishing a state-of-the-art, internationally standardized abattoir costing some Gy$3M. While addressing Leguan residents on Friday during the launching of the MoA boat service to the island, Minister Ramsammy said steps have already been taken in regard to establishing the abattoir, and very soon there will be advertisements for contractors to begin its construction.
While Guyana is known to have several butcher’s shops and slaughter houses, there is no properly standardized abattoir.
“I’m glad to say we are advanced, and you will see the ad. in papers for contractors to (put) the international abattoir together,” he said.
He said that if Guyana is to progress successfully in the expansion of its poultry and livestock exportation, a well-established abattoir is necessary.
“While there are several places in Guyana that are considered to be abattoirs, they have not yet met the true standards of an abattoir… We are far from there, we have a slaughter house,” the minister stated.
According to Minister Ramsammy, after the abattoir has been established, the Private Sector Commission (PSC) is expected to come on board.
“The PSC would not invest in this. We invited the PSC, (but) nobody wanted to come until they see what the market is,” Dr Ramsammy stated.
He pointed out that while the execution of this project has been a challenge for other small countries, he believes Guyana is ready and able to handle the project.
“Suriname, they went ahead and put an abattoir, and they are not able to maintain it. That is because they don’t have a number of animals,” he alluded.
He said that since the PSC will not be coming on board at the early stage of the investment, the Government has decided to make the first move on the basis that the PSC will take over once it is up and running.
He said the abattoir would likely be completed within a two-year time span, by which time Guyana would have acquired the requisite amount of animals to maintain the facility.
By that time, he said, the country would have export markets ready and waiting for the products.
Additionally, he said, Guyana has a plus in acquiring markets readily, since the country is certified as “Foot and Mouth” disease free.
“Guyana is certified as foot and mouth free, and once you can reach the SPS of being free from disease, it is a plus; and in this case for Guyana…it is free from this disease without any vaccination programme; and we need to preserve that and make sure we don’t have exposure to a disease,” Ramsammy explained.