President predicts Region 5 will be “livestock capital of CARICOM”

Mar 29, 2022 News

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By Malisa Playter-Harry

Kaieteur News – At the launch of the Black Belly Sheep Project on Sunday in the MMA Compound at Onverwagt, West Coast Berbice, Region Five, President Irfaan Ali announced that an initial investment of US$3 million will see Barbados supplying the country with 1000 Black Belly Sheep within the next two weeks.

President Ali made the announcement shortly after predicting that Region Five can and will be the “livestock capital of CARICOM”.
The President, who recently returned from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), said that while he was there, 90 percent of the conversation with the private sector and the leadership of that country were not centred on the oil and gas industry but rather agricultural diversity, food security and production. To this end, he noted that the Black Belly Sheep project is “not just a one-off project” but instead a vision of being “self-sufficient locally, supply regionally and eventually expand the supply chain internationally.”
“And for that, we are bringing in the relevant players, the global players to work side by side. This sector must be built differently, the agricultural sector is a sector with great dignity…” he said on Sunday.
Ali underscored that the project itself, transcends “just building a farm” since the project must have more women and youth involved. “We want 20 percent of those farms to be led by women and 35 percent of the farms must have youth involvement, that is, young people below the age of 35. This is part of building the future, this is part of empowerment, these are real targets and real approach in involvement of people…,” he noted.
Over 4,500 jobs are expected to be formed as the new venture expands over the next few years with a target production of 7,900 tonnes by the end of five years but to achieve such, it requires the government, farmers and international partners to invest US$175 million.
“That is our projection in terms of investment that is needed to take us there,” said the President.
Furthermore, the land requirement is set at 25,000 hectares since the venture will not only be for Region Five but for other communities throughout the country. Additionally, the Head-of-State, in his detailed presentation on Sunday, highlighted that as it relates to the operating expenditure for the entire country to achieve the target by year four, an estimated US$24 million will be necessary and beyond year four, US$30 million will be utilised.

The expected earnings projected to be US$43 million annually. Already a total of 78 farmers in Region Five have come on board the project. Among those farmers, several have jointly committed to providing 1,325 hectares of land. Other farmers who were present at Sunday’s launch have also signalled their interest in the project.
Additionally, the Head-of-State revealed that sheep farmers will collaborate with the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) “to ensure that all data for the sheep and the farm will be provided for proper monitoring; so on every single farm, there will be an electronic monitoring system. Every farm will have a database and the farmers must update their database daily and that database from the individual farm will be linked to a national database so that we will have real time data to help support you from GLDA.”

IMPORTS
Noting that currently, the four major markets in CARICOM include: Bahamas, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados, he said that T&T alone imported 2,600 tonnes of mutton and mutton products valued at US$17 million; Jamaica imported 2,600 metric tonnes with a market of US$12.6 million, Bahamas imported 900 metric tonnes with a market of US$6.9 million and Barbados imported 1000 metric tonnes with a market of US$6.8 million.
“Every country in CARICOM and the value of the import in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and you will see that there is continuous growth, except for the period of COVID and now the supply chain issues, those are the constraints to the existing market. CARICOM import of mutton, from 2016 to 2019, the market has grown from US$36 million to close to US$48 million; that’s a US$12 million growth. This is to show the opportunities so that you will know in this project, there are great opportunities. This is a project that is supported by scientific research, market research and strong negotiations on the trade side,” President Ali told the dozens of farmers that were present.
He said that his government is open to working with all the farmers to develop a consistent system if the industry should succeed, while pointing out that for the industry to take shape as it should, there must be similarity in technology and similarity of system. “…we have to build a mechanism that will support a singular system so that will be part of what we will be doing in terms of research, technology, capitol, the market system, the reproduction system, the feeding system, the pasture, all of these will undergo tremendous change with investment from the government,” so that the output from farmers is at a high standard.
He pledged support by providing the necessary machines and equipment to bring the fields and pastures up to standards. Added to that, there will be investment in technology and the equipment to help in the processing aspect. “This is part of the input from the government in supporting the development, it is not only bringing in the 1000 breeding stock and then leaving it there because we are also looking at other large-scale suppliers (such as UAE),” he noted.

CONSTRAINTS
According to Ali, because of the “insufficient and unreliable” data for mutton and high valued lamb, his government is “now investing in the (Agriculture) Ministry having the human resource capacity so we can have real time data, as accurate data as possible. It is only since we started this research and the work to develop these sectors that we are seeing the weaknesses. Data wasn’t there…inadequate breeding stock which we are working to improve, limited production of high value lamb and mutton products.”
The next two years, he said, will be spent on ramping up production, bearing in mind that the sector will experience an infantry phase during that period where the revenue expected will not be at its peak.
“We now have to start from nothing, building up the production,” he added. Ali also pointed out that there are inadequate climate smart housing facilities for the sheep production but that it is not the fault of the farmers. He said the government will invest in educational and training programmes as well as technology for farmers to benefit. Adding to that, he spoke of plans to invest in improving access to feed, pasture management, vets, among other things.
At the launch, farmers were given the opportunity to raise several issues that have been affecting them and were provided with on the spot solutions by the Head-of-State.

 

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