What began in 2023 as a strategic effort to enhance herd performance and meat production has now yielded tangible results, including the birth of a promising bull calf in 2024. In June 2023, artificial insemination (AI) — the placement of a semen suspension into the female reproductive tract — was conducted on 66 animals at Aranaputa, North Rupununi, by staff of the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), as part of a targeted livestock genetic improvement programme. The activity was led by a team from GLDA’s Genetics Laboratory, including Dr Renita Lashley, Head of the Genetics Unit; Lyndon Stanley, AI Technician; and Melissa Boston, Livestock Extension Officer (LEO). Other GLDA staff in the region who assisted were Dr Andray Pearson, Elvan Hamilton and Joshua Hinds. The AI programme for cattle fulfilled a promise made to the people of the community by President Dr Irfaan Ali when he visited the community back in 2023.
The President had said that concerning livestock, the Government is investing heavily in the future. Tunnel ventilation pens, hatcheries, genetic improvements, AI, abattoirs and processing plants are being developed to boost production of poultry, beef, and dairy.
By 2030, these initiatives, he added, will position livestock as a major driver of growth, innovation, and food security. The bull, a direct product of a successful AI initiative, carries a genetic composition of 50 per cent Beefmaster, 30 per cent Charolais, and 20 per cent local breed; a blend carefully designed to combine strong growth and meat-producing traits with adaptability to local environmental conditions, giving farmers in the Rupununi region access to better breeding stock and improved future herd performance.
The animal is considered a testament to the positive outcomes that can be achieved through applied reproductive technologies and the dedication of livestock professionals working with ranchers and farmers of Region Nine. (Agriculture in Region 9 photos)
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