The Guyana Swine Producers Cooperative has teamed up with the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) with the aim of improving its stock and pork production nationally. The collaboration will see an exchange of stock, provision of semen and training in the proper management of new breeds introduced.
Toppigs Forty a high yielding swine breed imported from Suriname
Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the GLDA, Dr. Dwight Walrond told the Government Information Agency (GINA), that it is now working with the Swine Producers Co-op to improve the genetics of swine available to its members.
“Our role in all of this is to facilitate whatever processes they need and to render technical assistance using our extension staff, and wherever possible we would go out to assist. We are also going to be implementing artificial insemination along the coast of Guyana using some of the improved genetics that we have at our facility,” Walrond said.
The Guyana Swine Producers Cooperative, a recent beneficiary of a Government of Guyana grant, in excess of $10M, has imported swine from neighbouring Suriname in an effort to improve the quality of breeders, and ultimately weaners available in the local industry.
Owen McGarrell, Secretary, Guyana Swine Producers’ Cooperative
The livestock authority currently has Large White and Duroc swine imported from Iowa while the Guyana Swine Producers Cooperative has the Toppigs Forty brought in from Suriname. Iowa is known for producing some of the better breeds of swine while the Toppigs Forty are known for producing large litters, and for their rapid growth, weight gain and high quality pork.
“Those pigs are at our facility. We are training some young boars so we would be using those semen to inseminate pigs around the country, also we have approximately three boars that we have loaned to the association (cooperative). They have them in various parts of the country where the farmers can have access to improved genetics in a short period of time. That is what we are doing to ensure that our farmers are not starved of quality genetics,”Dr. Walrond explained.
Eric Anderson, Chairman of the Guyana Swine Producers’ Cooperative
The Guyana Swine Producers Cooperative is currently in the process of recruiting members, and expanding its production of high quality swine for the production of pork and pork products.
The cooperative’s chairman, Eric Anderson and Secretary, Oswald Mc Garrell recently issued calls for the establishment of an internationally certified abattoir for the production of pork since there is an increasing market for the commodity internationally.
