National Dairy and Development Programme (NDDP)
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Meer Bacchus - Programme Director c/o
Lands and Surveys Building P.O. Box 10367 Georgetown, Guyana, South America |
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Rationale |
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Objectives |
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Highlights of Successes to Date |
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Plan of Action and Current Activities |
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Miscellaneous |
The availability of cattle as a natural resource, the necessity to conserve and optimally utilize our foreign exchange earnings, the political philosophy of self-sufficiency coupled with the knowledge that we cannot allow ourselves to be sucked into the unending vortex of food dependence and the conviction of possessing an unparalleled resourcefulness as a nation combine to dictate the direction towards reducing foreign milk imports and supplanting these imports with locally produced milk. The agency entrusted to undertake the catalyst role within this context is the NATIONAL DAIRY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (NDDP), which was established on March 1st, 1984 with three (3) technical officer and two (2) support staff.
Inherent in the above are the objectives of the Programme. These include:
To increase milk production via improvements in pasture availability/management, dairy herd management, breeding policies and education/extension services.
To be instrumental in helping to improve the facilities relative to the collection, processing and distribution of milk and milk products throughout Guyana in keeping with acceptable hygiene and nutritional standards.
To achieve full self-sufficiency in milk and milk products in the shortest time possible and replacing present imports with domestic production.
To provide an alternative and lucrative means of earning a living.
The NDDP has established 582 (Nurseries, small and large farmers units, Communal Forage Plots) totaling 6,000 acres of improved grass.
NB.
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The National milk yield increased from 2.8 million gallons in 1983 to 8.75 million gallons in 1993, saving G$3.5 billion of fluid milk equivalent imports. The average yield per cow has risen from 0.5 gallons in 1983 to 0.7 gallons in 1993.
Some Regions (e.g. Regions 3, 5, and 6) are on the verge of self-sufficiency in milk.
The Artificial Insemination Programme is moving apace and the service quantities and efficiency levels are steadily improving. For the period of 1987 to 1994, a total of 11,673 Artificial Inseminations were carried out. The thousands of cross-breed A.I. calves are visible throughout the Coastal Livestock landscape.
The establishment of grass nurseries in cattle producing areas of the entire country.
The establishment of Communal Forage Plots for dairy farmers who are either landless or who own only small farmsteads.
The provision of assistance within the framework of pasture establishment to individual farmers who possess as little as five heads of cattle and small acreages.
The NDDP is instrumental in making pastures available to cattle farmers with large herds on acreages at their disposal, together with concomitant supportive services.
The NDDP supports research agencies and is involved in the identification of grass species that are practical relative to the areas in which they will be planted. In this context, we recognize the necessity to use those grasses that are high yielding, palatable and relatively nutritional, while at the same time being aggressive in terms of tillering, growth and recovery after defoliation (grazing or cutting), and which possess the ability to withstand heat/drought/burning as well as wet conditions and whose needs for fertilizers are minimal.
The NDDP meaningfully assists model dairy farms run by State and parastatal organizations, for example, the Livestock Development Company Dairy Farms, the Guyana Sugar Corporation, St. Stanislaus College=s Model Farm, the Ministry of Agriculture=s Livestock Farm at Mon Repos. As soon as the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Guyana is ready to begin with its demonstration farm we will be only too ready to come to their assistance. Furthermore, we intend to establish model farms with the assistance of CARDI/IICA in every region that has a significant cattle population.
The NDDP is committed to help, in technical matters, entrepreneurs wishing to be involved in the dairy business, either from the production standpoint or via the supply of components needed in the industry.
The NDDP is developing the Artificial Insemination services and is servicing animals in every Region on the coastal belt. The NDDP works cohesively with other support services, e.g. Veterinary, Agri-extension etc.
The NDDP liaises with other local (e.g. GUYSUCO, LIDCO and other Governmental Organizations, regional (e.g. Caribbean Agricultural & Research Development Institute (CARDI), extra-regional (e.g. Inter-American Institute for Co-operation in Agriculture (IICA) and other Non-Governmental Organizations whose activities are supportive and complementary to the NDDP=s efforts.
The printing of technical brochures for farmers on issues such as pasture management, calf rearing is being undertaken by NDDP. Furthermore, the NDDP is well appointed to assist farmers in the preparation of documents (Herd Projections, Plans for Farm Buildings/Structures, Project Profiles, etc.) that would be needed by Donor/Lending Agencies.
The NDDP ensures that a producer oriented policy be implemented while simultaneously emphasizing to the farmers that avarice towards and exploitation of the consumer is counterproductive in the long run.
The NDDP will continue to enthuse farmers with the message that they should consider dairying as an industry and not a turn-on/turn-off part-time vocation. Within this context TRAINING, via field days, seminars, workshops and vocational courses at the Dairy Management Centre, is a paramount consideration within the Plan of Action.
The NDDP is the major force in establishing Cattle Farmers Associations nation-wide, with the ultimate objective of having the cattle farmers take over the management of their own affairs.
Several brochures including AUtilization of Antelope Grass for Milk Production@, ACalf Rearing@, AArtificial Insemination@, have been prepared and distributed to Dairy Farmers and Technicians.
Numerous field-days/seminars were held for Dairy Farmers to up-date their knowledge in Dairy Husbandry.
NDDP is actively involved in supporting research activities of CARDI and IICA.
NDDP is also coordinating the efforts of all agencies involved in the National Dairy Development thrust.
The NDDP has been instrumental in the formation and registration of approximately 44 Cattle Farmers Associations of approximately 70 that need to be established.
Contact us at "nddp@sdnp.org.gy"