-farmers showcase their best at GLDA’s Ruminant Expo

AS part of the 2025 Agriculture Month activities, Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. Zulfikar Mustapha attended the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA)’s Ruminant Expo, held at the Rising Sun Turf Club in Region Five.

The event brought together livestock farmers, producers, and other stakeholders to showcase developments in the ruminant industry and celebrate local talent.

While speaking with members of the media, Minister Mustapha highlighted the importance of ruminant production to Guyana’s agriculture sector. He noted that ruminant farming is part of the DNA of Guyanese farmers, emphasising that the animals on display at the expo were a clear demonstration of the local livestock sector’s resilience.

“This shows our resilience as a country. In the livestock sector, we’ve been moving rapidly. I’m very impressed with what I’ve seen here. These animals are not the GLDA’s animals. These are farmers’ animals. Farmers who’ve worked with us in our genetic improvement programme and have benefited from breeding stock, artificial insemination, or embryo transfer. From what I’ve seen here today, our genetic improvement programme is a clear success. We are working with cattle farmers across the country to develop the beef industry, and from the ministry’s standpoint, we’ve been working with a company from Brazil to develop our farm in Ebini, where we are concentrating on dairy. Soon, we’ll commission a state-of-the-art abattoir at Onverwagt, and you know we have to ensure we produce enough meat for that facility. Based on what I’ve seen here today, if very impressive because it shows that over the last five years, we’ve exceeded our target as it relates to the number of animals that are available,” he explained.

He said that the GLDA has been working with the farmers to provide breeding animals and technical support over the last five years and that, based on what was showcased at the expo, the ministry’s genetic improvement programme has been yielding great success.

The expo featured 16 competitive categories ranging from livestock exhibition to cooking contests, with one farmer set to be crowned the Grand Champion. The event served as a platform to highlight improvements in livestock breeding and management.

In his remarks, Minister Mustapha also shared updates on several key government initiatives aimed at supporting and expanding the ruminant industry. He referenced the importation and distribution of Black Belly sheep as part of a wider effort to enhance meat-type breeding in collaboration with private farmers. The government is also investing in pasture development and strengthening extension services to better support farmers on the ground.

For the cattle industry, the Minister pointed to the ongoing bull rotation programme and the distribution of breeding bulls.

According to the Minister, the government’s expansion plans for the livestock industry include the continued advancement of genetic programmes, the development of a 5,000-acre area equipped with a training center and facilities to support livestock farmers, and the allocation of new lands to assist farmers with scaling their operations.

He disclosed that construction of a new processing facility for small ruminants is also on the agenda, as the government seeks to create a more robust and value-added livestock industry.

A key part of the GLDA’s genetic improvement strategy is the embryo transfer (ET) programme, which will see 1,000 embryos being made available to local farmers. These will include both dairy and beef breeds, aimed at accelerating genetic progress and increasing productivity across the country’s livestock farms.

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture Duan Ellis and other Heads of Departments were also present. (MoA)