MY friend Wesley Kirton (who reads my column every week) often invites me to social functions he hosts on special occasions, but this invitation was different: A tour of Demerara Dairies Inc. in Moblissa. I’d heard about the project, but never paid much attention to it. I had a full schedule on the day in question, so I did not commit immediately, because it was for the entire day. I was very interested, and hence, decided to shift a few things around to make the trip possible.

I love going out of town, because it allows me to feed my lungs with a better version of air. We arrived at the junction of the Soesdyke-Linden Highway and Moblissa Access Road, and I was elated to see my friend, Loris Natoo, who is the DDL project Executive, and whom I have not seen in years. We even took a selfie. Loris will be my chess coach soon, and that is one of my vision boards that will be manifested.

Mr. Kirton and Mr. Samaroo briefed us on the development of the road leading to Moblissa, and it was nice to witness the new bridge under construction. The contractor hired by the government gave us an overview of work in progress, and a description of a new bridge over a creek. The creek water was enticing. As you know, rivers and creeks always attract the country girl. I felt like relaxing in the black-water creek and forgot the tour. Lol!

I am happy I did not choose this option because I was blown away by what I experienced. We made a brief stop at a partially built community centre where DDL hosted a Christmas party, and DDL Chairman Komal Samaroo updated us on DDL’s plans for the centre. They have taken on the task of completing the building, which will be an asset to the community. I must commend Mr. Samaroo and his team on this initiative. One of the most important attributes Mr. Samaroo has in common with his predecessor, Dr. Yesu Persaud, in my opinion, is his humble demeanour. I have always admired how grounded he remained despite all his achievements; this new initiative could be a larger-than-life project.

Listening to the briefing on location provided a lot of ‘info’ on the magnitude of the dairy project occupying approximately 100 acres of land: 60 acres for feed and 40 acres for farm buildings, initially acquired from the Guyana Lands & Surveys Commission. An additional 150 acres were recently acquired, with land clearing in progress. For the Dairy Farm: There are 915 animals as part of Phase I (500 milking cows and 415 heifers). Each cow will annually produce 10,000 liters of milk, and the cows will be milked three times a day, every eight hours.

The Processing Plant at Diamond will be capable of producing approximately 19.2 tons or 18,600 L daily (5 days/week) of premium milk products. The milk will be transported to Diamond in stainless steel refrigerated tanks for pasteurisation and processing into boxes.

The meals and medical facilities will be catered for, so they will not be like the cows who have to look for the meals. The project’s main objective is to strengthen dairy production in Guyana and CARICOM to supply fresh high-quality milk products to Guyanese consumers and replace milk importation, transfer of state-of-the-art agricultural knowledge and expertise and create job opportunities for local residents in and around Moblissa and the surrounding communities.

“This project is conceived within the framework of the policy of regional food security, and is designed on efficiency principles using modern technology. We believe this project will be transformative for Guyana since it is onshore and in one area of our food supplies, as well as the Moblissa community through the provision of job opportunities for its residents,” Mr. Samaroo said.

Providing value to the community was one of the things that was very attractive about this project.
When projects prioritise community needs and actively contribute to their well-being, they create positive outcomes far beyond the immediate project scope. Projects that consider and address community needs are more likely to be embraced and supported by residents. This leads to increased ownership, participation, and, ultimately, project sustainability. Communities become invested in the success of projects that benefit them directly and are more likely to maintain and protect them in the longrun.

By addressing community needs, projects like these can also directly improve the lives of residents. This could involve anything from creating green spaces and recreational facilities to providing access to education, healthcare, or economic opportunities. When projects contribute to a higher quality of life, communities thrive and attract new residents and businesses.

” A very transformative project that brings to Guyana enhanced technology and methods for rearing dairy cattle to produce high-quality fresh milk. This state-of-the-art dairy farm is already creating employment for members of the Moblissa community and augurs well for their future,” said Project Adviser/Coordinator Wesley Kirton

Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Hon. Deodat Indar and Director-General Mr. Madanlall Ramraj expressed high praise for this project, and re-iterated the Government of Guyana’s support.

Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) and the LR Group of Israel, signed an agreement with Demerara Dairies Inc. (DDI) in Guyana last year to make this project a reality.

“LR Group of Israel is honored to form a JV with DDL for the development of the largest and most modern dairy farm in the CARICOM, producing more than 5.0 million litres of fresh milk per year. This dairy farm is key to CARICOM region’s food security initiative; to reduce imports by 25% by 2025 and contribute to the development of high-tech commercial agro industry in Guyana . We are happy to be a partner in a project that will foster community development,” Director LR Group, Joseph Haim Harosh said.

I am very familiar with DDL and what they have contributed to society. They were one of the sponsors for Guyana Fashion Week, which impacted many creatives. I had no idea of LR Group so I researched and from the information I found, I see they are doing amazing projects in different parts of the world. “In Everything We Do WE BELIEVE IN CREATING Change” is one of their slogans.

LR Group is at the forefront of international development, turning vision into ideas, ideas into action, and action into long-term impact. I believe this partnership will change the face of dairy farming in this part of the world!
On the return trip I saw a vendor on the roadside had “kuru” on sale and the country girl in me got excited and had to have some.

No knives were available in the vehicle, so I did what I had done over a thousand times growing up in Bartica: peeled them with my teeth and devoured them. We all have that young kid residing in our adult bodies and reconnecting with the playful, curious, and joyful parts of ourselves that may have been buried under layers of adult responsibilities and societal expectations can be therapeutic, but that is a discussion for another column.

I started reflecting on the tour after enjoying my “kuru,” the mental screen where I create movies -my imagination – was turned on with the finished products. I saw a movie that will transform lives beyond our imagination as we continue to celebrate lives BEYOND THE RUNWAY.