WITH major investments being made in genetic improvement, nutrition and animal health, Guyana’s livestock industry is projected to grow by 5.1 per cent this year.

The Ministry of Finance, in its mid-year report, stated that the industry grew by 4.2 per cent when compared with the first half of 2021.

According to the report, the production of poultry meat, beef, pork and mutton grew by 9.2 per cent, 6.9 per cent, 18.2 per cent and 28 percent, respectively.

However, production of eggs and milk fell by 37.4 per cent and 18.2 per cent, respectively.

The report attributed the increase of poultry meat to the improved production of black giant chicks and the importation of black giant hatching eggs.

The production of eggs was severely hampered by the increased incidence of bird flu in the United States. Farms were unable to restock, resulting in lower hatchability, the report added.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, in a previous interview with this newspaper, disclosed that some 60 Brahman bulls have been ‘identified’ for importation into Guyana from Texas, United States by the end of September.

These replacement bulls are part of the Ministry of Agriculture’s breed improvement programme to rebuild the country’s livestock sector.

Minister Mustapha, in that interview, said the programme is one of many interventions being undertaken by the Government of Guyana to address the effects of the 2021 and 2022 floods which saw many farmers suffering tremendous losses.

Additionally, he stated that the Government was working to secure an agreement with a local shipping company to transport the remaining 1,000 Black Belly sheep from Barbados to Guyana.

Last month, 20 rams and 112 ewes arrived in Guyana as part of the first shipment.

The Ministry of Agriculture is also looking to spearhead a cross-breeding project using the Black Belly sheep and the locally bred sheep.

Under the breed improvement programme, genetic insemination, embryo transplant and cross-breeding will be done.

Meanwhile, the country’s swine industry has seen a rapid increase with the production of over 3,000 pigs.

The ministry had set a target production of 4,200 and is now anticipating a surpass.

SELF-SUFFICIENT
Meanwhile, in becoming self-sufficient in producing its own feed for livestock, the Ministry of Agriculture will soon ramp up production of corn and soya bean, with the construction of a processing plant.

Minister Mustapha had said that works were in progress to extend the farm in the Tacama Savannahs to some 4,000 acres.

“Last year, we would have [sic] started the trial of 125 acres and it was very successful and we harvested three tonnes per hectare and that is aligned in getting the kind of production we want; because of that, we said we will expand to 3,000-4,000 acres this year and we will continuously increase so the next three years we can expand to 25, 000,” Mustapha said.

He explained that if the Government is able to further expand production within the next three years, the country will not only become a supplier to the regional market, but will also be self-sufficient in producing its own feed for livestock.

Construction of the foundation and installation of the corn and soya bean processing plant will commence in the second half of the year and is expected to be completed by February 2023.

The processing plant, accordingly, will provide a drying and storage facility for the corn and soya farmers in the Tacama area.