More than 450 farmers have directly benefited from the Black Belly Sheep Project since its launch in 2022, with the national breeding stock now exceeding 5,000, up from an initial import of 1,000 animals, says Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), Dr Dwight Waldron.
Addressing corners during an interview, Dr Waldron described the initiative as “transformative,” saying it has addressed years of limited genetic improvement within the sheep industry.
“The Black Belly Sheep project is… transformative in nature… it would have allowed farmers to have access to fresh genetics… those genetics have to be supported by a robust production and health programme… that project by itself is transformative,” he said.
The project began with the importation of 1,000 Barbados Black Belly sheep through a partnership with Barbados. Dr Waldron said the programme had since expanded significantly.
“We receive 1,000 and we are now in excess of 5,000… We had in excess of 450 beneficiaries… We are now at the third generation with some of these farms, and we are now injecting fresh genetics into those farms,” he said.
He said the improved breeding programme had delivered stronger genetics, increased productivity and better financial returns for farmers. Several women had become full-time sheep breeders through the initiative, he noted, while fresh genetics were now being introduced into third-generation flocks to improve meat production through crossbreeding.
Dr Waldron dismissed claims circulating on social media about the condition of the breeding facility at Ellis, Region Five, saying weather-related setbacks had delayed completion of works but had not affected the programme’s overall success.
“Ellis is one of the breeding centres… we had some unfortunate situation with the weather… the drainage and irrigation aspect is completed… the soil testing was completed… those lands were already mechanically cleared three times already… works are ongoing,” he said.
Chairman of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), Lionel Wordsworth, also sought to correct misinformation surrounding the access road serving the Ellis facility, saying the road was procured through a competitive tendering process and designed to serve multiple agricultural stakeholders, not solely the Black Belly Sheep Project.
“The road went through a procurement process… it was competitive… it was part of the NDIA’s 2023 budget programme… this road was a rehabilitation project… it’s a 3.6-kilometre long road… it was properly done and certified by engineers,” Wordsworth said.
He added that, like many farm-to-market roads, the roadway required periodic repairs after heavy rainfall due to continuous agricultural use.
