FOLLOWING the inauguration of a poultry programme on Wednesday, the initial group of 50 Uitvlugt residents from the West Coast of Demerara will commence poultry production to achieve self-sustainability.
Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha said persons will receive 50-100 broilers or black giant chickens from the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) to increase the country’s poultry production.
The agriculture minister made the assertion while launching the agriculture initiative, at Branford’s residence in the Region Three community.

“We will work along with you through the GLDA. We will work along with you to start the poultry activity that the president would have committed. By next Wednesday, Dr Walrond [GLDA’s Chief Executive Officer], and his team will return to work with the entire group, so that we can have a group of people producing poultry at a cheaper cost in the community,” Minister Mustapha disclosed.
The programme has already benefitted residents in Regions Four, Six, and Ten, as well as hinterland regions.

Cognisant of the global disease affecting poultry, Minister Mustapha noted that the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) is currently undertaking measures to manage the issue to stabilise chicken costs.
“We are working with the large and small poultry farmers. There are a number of persons’ businesses that were affected by the disease. Last year, we gave $29 million to the poultry industry to purchase vaccines to vaccinate the chickens,” he added.

The minister was accompanied by Director-General of the Ministry, Madanlall Ramraj, and Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), Dr Dwight Walrond.