–to help boost their dwindling poultry stocks

FORTY farmers from various communities were on Friday the recipients of 100 Black Giant chickens each for the purpose of breeding and egg production, courtesy of the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA).

According to GLDA’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dwight Waldron, a total of 100 farmers will benefit from this aspect of the government’s flood relief intervention efforts, officially referred to as ‘the Black Giant programme’, so as to ensure that the nation’s food security is intact.

The Black Giant is reportedly a large dual-purpose breed of chickens, which has the ability to produce up to 200 eggs annually, and about 4.5 kilograms of meat each. These birds also have the ability to not only graze and forage, but to eat leftovers from the kitchen as well and still be able to reproduce reasonably well. Speaking at the handing over of the chicks, Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha recalled the terrible loss that local farmers countrywide would have suffered about a year ago owing to widespread flooding, saying that the gesture is the government’s way of helping them get back on their feet.

“Almost one year ago, we suffered from a flood; the majority of our agriculture crops were destroyed, and a number of livestock was destroyed. At the time, the president made a commitment that we will be giving help to the farmers of our country,” Minister Mustapha said, adding that the reason he did so is because of his recognition of the importance of the agriculture sector to our economy, even though the country is now widely regarded as an oil-and-gas producer.

As the President has been wont to say time and again, Minister Mustapha reminded those farmers present at the function that revenues from the oil-and-gas sector will be used to help develop other sectors of the country, so that its economy can be resilient, which is why a whopping $135 million was allocated this year to the development of the agriculture sector through genetic improvement.

He also recalled that the Ministry of Agriculture has also been equipping the sector to withstand the shocks and effects of climate change, hence the allocation of
in excess of $22 billion in this year’s budget to be used for expressly that purpose.

“The total of the budget for agriculture is approximately $22 billion; it’s one of the best budgets I’ve ever heard,” Minister Mustapha said, adding: “The budget will continue the projects that are in our Manifesto, and it will see the economic transformation of Guyana.

“It is people-centered, and it is focused on the continued transformation of our country.”