Efforts are being made to develop the dairy industry and establish a pasteurization plant in Region Five.

This is according to Agriculture Minister; Dr. Leslie Ramsammy who stated that this will help to decrease the large amount of milk products being imported.

Agriculture Minister; Dr. Leslie Ramsammy says the pasturization initiative seeks to reduce the import of dairy products by ten percent by 2015 and twenty percent by 2020.

“Once we have a well established dairy farm that can produce milk to supply or meet some of the needs in Guyana, we can begin some of the other products like yogurt, cheese, etc”

He stated that forty acres of land are being developed in Region Five by the Mahaica, Mahaicony, Abary Agricultural Development Authority in collaboration with the Guyana Livestock Development Authority.

“We are preparing these plots; I have mandated the GLDA to work with the private sector so that we can have a public private partnership for the development of a pasteurization plant on site where these dairy plots will be. The dairy plots once it is being developed by us, it will be leased to farmers.”

He added that the plant would supply consumers in region five and then gradually increase as the supply grows.

Minister Ramsammy noted that there were several attempts to create a successful dairy industry for milk production in the past, but failed due to the poor production stock used.

He said however, the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) is currently mandated to carry out work to improve its breeds for such purposes.

After the project would have been completed, farmers would be paid according to their supply