REGION Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) could see the development of a dedicated poultry production hub, as the government explores ways of helping small farmers move from backyard operations into more organised and profitable commercial farming.
President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali raised the proposal during community consultations held at Good Hope and Suddie on Monday, pointing to the large number of residents already engaged in poultry production on a small scale.
The President said the current pattern of backyard farming can sometimes create difficulties for both farmers and their neighbours, particularly when poultry operations are carried out within residential communities.
He suggested that instead of having dozens of farmers operating independently from their yards, they could be brought together at a designated location equipped for modern poultry production.
Under the proposed arrangement, farmers could become part of a larger poultry cluster with financial support through the Guyana Development Bank.
The President said such a facility could allow the same farmers to collectively produce on a much larger scale while retaining ownership in the operation.
“We can take those same 40 persons, put them in a cluster under the Guyana Development Bank and have an area designated for poultry farming where they can do 25,000, all of them owning a stake in that without having these conflicts in the community and making more money with a modern way of doing poultry,” he said.
The concept would effectively shift poultry production from scattered household-based operations to a centralised commercial model.
Farmers would have the opportunity to increase their production capacity while operating in an environment specifically designed for poultry farming, rather than having to manage expanding operations in residential areas.
Dr. Ali said the approach could also help reduce tensions between poultry farmers and neighbouring households, while giving producers an avenue to increase their income.
The proposal forms part of a wider vision being advanced by the government to establish designated agricultural areas where farmers can combine resources, access financing and benefit from improved production systems.
For Region Two, where agriculture remains an important part of the local economy, the proposed poultry hub could provide small producers with a pathway to expand their businesses and enter more formal commercial production.
The proposal will have to be further developed, including identifying a suitable location, determining the financing structure and establishing how participating farmers would own and operate the facility.
