— $2.1 million shade house commissioned at Nappi

THE Guyana Livestock Development Authority’s (GLDA) extension office in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) has increased its capabilities to offer improved services to livestock farmers in the Rupununi through the acquisition of a $3 million hematology machine. This was announced by Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, who travelled recently to North Rupununi and officially handed over the machine to the GLDA’s regional agriculture department. Minister Mustapha explained that with the government increasing efforts to improve and increase its livestock industry, the acquisition of the machine is both timely and important especially in the Rupununi, where livestock rearing and producing thrives. “As Minister of Agriculture, I’d like to see our livestock industry expand. This is why we are putting the necessary systems in place to ensure services like these are available across the country. This machine will boost GLDA’s capacity to provide quality services to persons who rear livestock for beef and other bi-products, as well as, for breeding purposes.

“This is just one of the many steps taken to improve the industry in the region. Additionally, the livestock authority will also be procuring a number of other equipment that will see a further boost to the industry in the region,” Minister Mustapha said.
The machine was purchased using funds from both the region’s agriculture department’s budget and the livestock authority. It was acquired as part of efforts to improve sample collection in the region.
Hematology machines are generally used to identify the number of red and white blood cells, blood platelets, and hemoglobin levels from a sample of blood taken from livestock. These tests would be able to identify cases of anemia, inflammation, blood clotting disorders, among other things. It can also determine how the animal’s body is responding to treatment for any of those diseases.
Minister Mustapha said that additional equipment required to improve GLDA’s sample processing lab will be purchased soon as part of the region’s 2021 agriculture budgetary allocation.

SMART AGRICULTURE
Minister Mustapha also commissioned a $2.1 million shade house in Nappi Village, as part of the ministry’s smart agriculture initiative.
During the simple commissioning exercise, Minister Mustapha said the government is committed to ensuring farmers in hinterland regions enjoy the same amount of resources as those residing on the coast and other parts of the country.
He said that the shade house shows the potential of the community and that his ministry will continue to offer the support needed to further develop food and nutrition security in the region.
“Our officers will work along with the village officials responsible for supervising the shade house to ensure it has the kind of crops needed throughout the community and that the space in the shade house is fully utilised. Promoting shade houses is promoting climate-smart agriculture. Globally climate change continues to have an impact on agriculture. The weather patterns have become very unpredictable,” Minister Mustapha said.