THE Humanitarian Assistance Programme through the U.S. Embassy yesterday donated five microscopes valued  approximately US$5,000 to the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) of the Ministry of Agriculture.
These microscopes will be used in the ministry’s veterinary laboratory, Regent Street, Georgetown, to identify parasites, fungal and bacterial diseases in animals.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony in the laboratory, Agriculture Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy said that these microscopes will increase and expand the lab capacity and is a very significant step forward in the country’s achievement of food security, particularly in livestock products.
Acknowledging and thanking the U.S.  Embassy for the support it has given and continues to give, Dr. Ramsammy noted that while this is critical, the ministry also needs to ensure that they train their veterinarians, veterinary technicians and other animal health professionals.
He pointed out that in fulfillment of this goal, he has mandated the GLDA to conduct continued education programmes not only for the veterinarians but also for the veterinary technicians and other staff so that they are aware of new developments around the world.
This, he said, will allow them to shepherd the industry in that direction to make it productive and ensure that farmers can generate wealth.
According to him, they have also been putting in place – based on the 2003 Veterinary Practitioner’s Act, a Veterinary Council in Guyana which will register veterinarians and veterinary technicians.
Dr. Ramsammy said efforts are being made to ensure that a comprehensive animal health laboratory is built, which will provide not only safe and quality food for the Guyanese people but also ensure that Guyana meets the standards that would allow the country to export livestock products.
This ambition to be a major exporter of meat, meat products and milk to the Caribbean and other countries can only be realised if they have a good quality animal health laboratory, he said.
Meanwhile, also making remarks on the occasion, GLDA’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Dindyal Permaul stated that they are particularly grateful to witness the handing over of the microscopes which will aid in relieving animals of their parasites, beginning with those in Region 3 (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara).
The Humanitarian Assistance Programme through the US Embassy recently conducted a training programme with staff of the GLDA. GLDA staff benefitted from having 2-3 credit hours of lectures and practical sessions on parasitology to understand what is taking place with parasites.
According to Dr. Permaul, they felt that the programme was an effective one in addressing a strong area of deficiency in animal husbandry techniques. He further stated that when they started the programme the contribution of veterinary medicine to the alleviation of poverty, particularly among the Region 3 farmers, was acknowledged and these farmers are dependent upon their animals for meat in particular.
Dr. Permaul explained that during that programme they recognised that the absence of microscopes in certain key and critical areas, particularly under field conditions, would mitigate against the farmers doing well.
Delivering remarks on behalf of the US Embassy, Director of the Humanitarian Assistance Programme, Ms. Melanie Collins stated that they are pleased to donate the microscopes to the GLDA.
According to her, they believe that it is very important that they teach as well as donate and the microscopes will help the betterment of all the veterinarian technicians and doctors who worked with them on the previous veterinarian programme with the GLDA.
Collins expressed hope that the knowledge that they were able to provide to the GLDA will spread throughout the whole of Guyana for the betterment of all cattle raised in the country.