Pork production expected to increase by over 880,000 pounds

Guyana’s development is moving at an incredibly fast pace leaving a gap for more food products.

As a result, the government has set its sights on the increased production of pork by some 400,000 kilos or just over 880,000 pounds by the start of December.

This ambitious target now rests with Guyana’s swine producers who were on Wednesday presented with cross-bred swines, both male and female, created with the ability to produce 200 pounds of quality meat within six months.

And according to the Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha the $1.8 million investment will add to the 890,000 kilos of pork already being produced to satisfy the increasing demand.

“We will be challenged to produce the food for the other sectors in the economy.

“We are seeing more and more people come into this country so we will help to prepare you the farmers to get ready for this growth,” the minister remarked during the handing over ceremony at the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) on Wednesday.

The minister reminded that the government is plugging millions of dollars into Guyana’s livestock industry with $997.3 million budgeted to see the creation of a modular swine abattoir at Garden of Eden, on the East Bank of Demerara.

The facility, to be constructed through a partnership between the government and the private sector, would have better standardized production systems and biosecurity that would benefit over 600 farmers.

It will be supported by the requisite certification processes and traceability capacity, to allow Guyana access to regional and international markets.

According to Mustapha, the high cost of feed is also being looked at, as the government wants to be “self-sufficient” and produce its own.

And with the corn and soya bean trial farm at the Dubulay Ranch at Ebini, along the Berbice River yielding high results, Guyana is making strides in this regard.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Swine Products Association of Guyana Forrest Smartt lauded the initiative and implored the importance of maintaining the “high standards” of the industry.

“Take this an opportunity to maintain that goodness…Animal husbandry is something we worked tirelessly behind and we need need to uphold that standard by strict adherence to the best practices,” he urged.

Meanwhile, Gopal Sanasie who operates a large-scale farm in Region Three, shared his excitement at the yield expected with the crossbred swine.

With the rearing time cut by some two years, he said that farmers will be able to get quality meat and higher litter size which translates to more revenue for Guyana.