– Minister Ramsammy
MINISTER of Agriculture, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy has said that Parliament will soon be addressing a Food Safety Bill which will impact on how livestock meat is produced and changed into value-added products.
He said the legislation will see the industry being governed by new rules and regulations necessary for taking production in the livestock sector to a higher level.It would also be for ensuring that the growing service industry, in the form of hotels, restaurants and tourist resorts in Guyana, contribute to the wealth and well-being of livestock farmers.
Ramsammy emphasised, in this regard, that, if livestock farmers want to cash in on the demands of the tourism industry, they will have to begin doing some things differently.
“Certain sanitary and phyto-sanitary standards will have to be adhered to from the fields to the table and the Bill is designed to ensure that they are complied with,” he said.
The minister added that the proposed Food Safety Bill is very significant in this regard.
Ramsammy said the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) has played a significant role in developing the proposed Food Safety Bill.
It is currently being vetted by the Attorney General’s Chambers for presentation to the National Assembly.