The government is moving to secure additional grazing land for cattle farmers as the country’s rapid housing and infrastructure development continues to place pressure on areas traditionally used for livestock production.
Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, made the commitment during an engagement with cattle farmers at the Liliendaal Community Centre on Wednesday, where concerns were raised about access to suitable grazing lands in several communities.
Minister Mustapha stated that there must be a balance between expanding housing opportunities and protecting the agricultural sector, particularly as Guyana works to strengthen domestic food production and livestock development.
“We cannot do development at the expense of another industry too, because Guyana is important in terms of we want to have food security in Guyana. We want to develop the livestock sector,” he said.
Among the areas identified for intervention is land beyond the Crown Dam, where the ministry intends to work with farmers to develop additional grazing space.
Approximately 30 farmers are expected to benefit from the intervention.
Similar arrangements are being pursued for farmers in the La Bonne Intention (LBI) to Diamond area, with the minister indicating that the relevant agencies will first determine the future housing expansion plans before agricultural lands are developed.
He said the government does not want to develop land for farmers only to have it subsequently affected by further housing expansion.
The minister also committed to having officers from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) and the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) engage farmers directly at their locations to determine the practical interventions required.
The process is expected to begin within the coming week, with a mechanism being established to activate the decisions reached during the engagement.
These interventions form part of government’s broader efforts to strengthen livestock production through improved breeding, pasture development and other forms of support.
Minister Mustapha stressed that the objective is not to prevent development, but to ensure that agricultural production remains protected as Guyana continues to expand
