Amid rising temperatures: Govt to roll out climate-smart tunnel houses for poultry farming across Guyana

…up to 45,000 chickens can be produced per batch

In a nod towards climate conscious agriculture, the (PPP/C) government is looking to implement tunnel houses (pens) for rearing chickens, in every region across Guyana.
During a recent engagement in Region Five (Mahaica/Berbice), Chief Executive Officer of Guyana Livestock and Development Authority (GLDA), Dr Dwight Waldron explained that with these pens in place, they could help reduce the mortality rate of chicken batches to below five per cent.
“We are about to expand, make it a common phenomenon in Guyana. When you hear about tunnel ventilated and temperature-controlled pens, we don’t want that to be something that would have you thinking, what this looks like, who have it. This must be a common something, in each region, in each sub district.”
“What these pens will allow us to do, is for those birds to be comfortable, maintain that 22 to 23 degrees. That’s the body temp4erature that will promote effective metabolism. What we’re going to be seeing emanating out of those production system, increased weight in less time, reduced mortality,” Walrond said.
Tunnel houses are a form of enclosed housing that, in the case of poultry rearing, protects the birds from the weather elements, as well as pests and disease carrying animals. In addition to the unique advantages these pens carry in terms of regulating the body temperatures of chickens amid the effects of climate change, however, there is also the sheer size of these structures. Walrond estimated that one pen could produce as much as 45,000 birds per batch.
“With these pens, what you find is you can have maximum output. Meaning our objective is to develop some of those pens to a capacity of 40,000 to 45,000 birds per batch. And when you look at what is needed, we don’t need 10 or 14 persons to operate those facilities. All we need, maximum, is three. But one individual can man two of those pens. So, we’re looking at two individuals can man 80,000 birds.”
Walrond highlighted the incredible opportunity the construction of these pens provides for persons to earn generational wealth. Further, he noted that the level of interest already being generated by this initiative from youths, with many of them eager for its implementation on a large scale.
“We would have started, a few weeks ago, following a similar interaction on Main Street. And the level of interest from those young individuals, sports personalities, normal persons you see around, wanting to get involved in this kind of production.”
“We would have developed groups. And when you look at the level of interaction at that group level, I am amazed at times. Because I wonder if I’m in the same group. Because they are so aggressive,” he explained.
The government has been promoting food production opportunities and, specifically, tunnel houses, to youths. During a breakfast meeting last month, President Dr. Irfaan Ali, had conversations with a number of National sportsmen with the aim of their personal development.
Amongst the moves the government implemented to benefit the sportsmen was a Chicken Tunnel project that would see the athletes collaborating with the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) and Agriculture Ministry, as well as specific connections with the Bank, geared at facilitating business and house loans.
There is also the Agriculture Innovation Entrepreneurship Programme (AIEP). More than two years after Government had launched the company, more than 1000 young people have been attracted to the initiative, and they are all shareholders of this company, whose portfolio of climate smart agricultural projects continues to grow.
As at December 2023, the entrepreneurship programme had earned $25.4 million from the production and sale of high-value crops. Minister Mustapha had said at his year-end press conference that earnings generated by the project would be paid to the youths as dividends.
The President has been encouraging persons to come together and pool their resources in order to invest in agri-businesses. These and other projects form part of Government’s “Vision 25 by 2025”, which was first conceptualized by President Ali and aims for the Caribbean to achieve a 25 per cent reduction in the Region’s food import bill by the year 2025.
Owing to the Region’s dependency on imported foods, it faces hardships when disruptions occur. And in light of this, the intention is to formulate a sense of food stability and security. As of February, this year, 70 per cent of the ’25 by 2025’ target had been met. (G3)