60 Five-Acre Plots Developed in Region 5 to Boost Sheep Rearing
– As Government Pushes Expansion of Small Ruminants Sector
As the government accelerates efforts to expand production within the small ruminants sector, 60 five-acre plots have been developed in Region Five for farmers to rear sheep. This was announced on Saturday when Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha met with farmers to discuss ongoing investments, programs, and the long-term vision for livestock production in the region.
Region Five is home to the country’s largest agricultural scheme, the Mahaica Mahaicony Abary/Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA), and according to Mustapha, it is poised to become the “livestock capital of the Caribbean.”
The Minister explained that the newly developed plots will allow farmers to increase their flock sizes and improve production as the government ramps up its support for small ruminant farmers. He noted that additional, more extensive developments are already underway in other parts of the region.
“We want the small ruminants sector to increase production,” he noted.
Guyana recently received 1,000 Blackbelly sheep from Barbados, and farmers across the country—particularly in Region Five where 500 farmers benefited from the program. The Agriculture Minister highlighted that the initiative is designed not only to boost sheep farming but also to create economic opportunities for rice farmers, many of whom were present at the meeting held at Onverwagt, West Coast Berbice.
“All of you must show interest in this sector because when development takes place in the livestock sector, it will help rice farmers too. We’ll bring more revenue into the country,” Mustapha said.
He further added that Guyana is working closely with Barbados to develop a new brand of mutton unique to this part of the world, signalling a major step toward reducing imports, strengthening food security, and positioning the country as a leading regional supplier.
Works are ongoing to strengthen the brand of small ruminants in Region Five so that Guyana can eventually supply mutton to other Caribbean countries. Currently, Guyana imports some of its mutton from North America and New Zealand.
