LIVESTOCK technicians from Guyana, their counterparts in five other Caribbean countries and local small ruminant farmers have been challenged to break away from historical production of sheep and goats at local markets /subsistence levels, and to aim at levels of operations which can satisfy the growing demands of Regional and International customers. The charge was given to the operatives in the sector during the opening of a workshop on artificial insemination for goats, sponsored by Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), in

collaboration with the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA).
The venue of the ongoing programme is the GLDA’s headquarters at Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara.
The FAO’s aims at teaching the participants the technology for transferring semen from high quality animals to traditional breeds so that they can produce offspring that will increase the income earning capacity of farmers, enhance farm family income, and reduce poverty.
The main training resource person is FAO Consultant and a livestock expert from Jamaica, Dr. Gabrielle Young, and those being groomed include technicians from Suriname, Grenada, St Lucia, Dominica and Antigua.
Senior officials representing the FAO and other international agricultural organisations including the Inter – American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture ( IICA), the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. George Jervis; representatives of local organisations and agencies including the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA), the University of Guyana, (UG) the New Guyana Marketing Corporation (NGMC) and the Guyana Defence Force Agricultural Corps attended the formal opening of the AI for goats training workshop on Tuesday last.
The programme started Monday and ends tomorrow.
During remarks, FAO’s representative to Guyana, Mr. Reuben Robertson, said that through the training, the FAO is basically trying to build competencies in the persons who are engaged in livestock production so that they are able to use all the different AI techniques to increase small ruminant production in the Region.
He said, “For us in FAO, this is critical, because we really need to show the kinds of results that will contribute to food and nutrition security in the Region, reduce the food import bill and, at the same time, contribute to rural poverty reduction.”

He urged participants to take the training seriously so that when they go back to their respective posts and countries, they can impart the knowledge to their colleagues, to farmers and other stakeholders in the small ruminants sector so that the results can improve lives and livelihoods, reduce poverty and improve food security conditions within the Region.
Mr. Jervis said that the programme gave the Guyanese and other Caribbean nationals the opportunity to breed high quality animals, a facility which was extremely important for the small ruminants production to become a viable sector locally and Regionally.
He urged the locals to not only access the AI service that will follow, but to also care their animals in terms of proper housing and feed and proper flock management, so that that their products eventually reach the standard from which they can be exported to other parts of the world.
Dr. Cedric Lazarus, the FAO Sub-Regional Livestock Development Officer said that the training fell within the FAO’s Regional small ruminants development project across the Caribbean, and that other components such as training in animal nutrition and feed are soon to follow for those who are benefiting from the AI training.
Dr. Dindyal Permaul, Chief Executive Officer of GLDA, told participants to appreciate that the contribution that AI can make to the livestock development in their countries is likely to be very significant.
He noted that the AI for goats training by the FAO was a timely seminar, acknowledging that it was a first for Guyanese technicians.
He expressed hopes that participants will acquire all the skills and the right attitudes which will allow them to develop this state of the art technology and push it as far as it can go for the benefit of farmers in the sector in Guyana and in their respective territories.

By Clifford Stanley