Developing… piggeries

Your Eyewitness is so impressed with the government for creating opportunities for Guyanese to make it big – as far as money is concerned – in our fastest growing economy in the world. The latest that jumped out at him was pig rearing and processing!! Now pig rearing’s been with us from the very beginning – even before we became Guyana!! Didn’t we learn in school that one of the reasons Damon staged his rebellion over in Essequibo – back in 1934 after “Emancipation” – was because the Planters killed the pigs of the enslaved – in an effort to have them continue working!! Slaves had been allowed to rear pigs to supplement their diet – and this continued during the Village Movement!!
The Indians – brought in as indentured labourers – were never big on pig farming!! The Muslims saw it as “haram” – forbidden – and the Hindus saw it an unclean and practiced by the lowest of the low castes!! Pig farming continued into the modern period in African villages and when Burnham launched his drive for self-sufficiency in the 1970s, govt-owned pig farming on a larger scale was introduced in all the national Services camps – as well as at Garden of Eden on the EBD. They were supposed to also produce feed- like corn – for the pigs. But we all know – like with all his grandiose ideas – pig farming failed because he insisted on putting party loyalists in charge – rather than the best managers and agriculturalists!!
Anyhow, the PPP’s been trying valiantly since they entered office in 1992 to improve the conditions in the livestock sector – including pigs. However, rather than continuing with the PNC’s large govt-run farms, they’ve focused more on institutional support for farmers. For example, they launched the more technical and farmer-oriented Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) that provides training, veterinary services, breeding advice, and extension support to pig farmers. They’ve introduced genetic improvement programmes – to produce better breeds of pigs – as well as collecting data and monitoring production. They also announced a plan to launch an abattoir at Garden of Eden
But with all that effort, no farmer – or group of farmers under the PNC’s vaunted “co-ops” – have taken the entrepreneurial step to emulate the vertically-integrated mega pig farms like in the USA. So finally, the government has invited one of the latter to conduct a study as to what it’s gonna take for them to do what it takes to get us there!! It’ll be a two-step plan – first to deal with the local market – then scale it upwards to handle the Caricom market!!
Your Eyewitness can already hear the shrieks from the Opposition racists that the government’s selling out “African” pig farming!!
No wonder they’re dwindling!!

…capacitation??
Your Eyewitness’ eye was caught by a Chronic’s editorial referencing a “Capacitation Conclave survey” done by UG. It showed that Guyanese “youths see work as a way to support their changing life goals, placing importance on flexibility, creativity, and personal control.” Referencing govt’s job creation, UG’s V.C. Paloma Mohamed-Martin concluded, “simply creating jobs isn’t enough if those jobs do not meet the changing expectations. Young people are increasingly doubting strict job requirements, especially when they come with low starting wages.”
In other words, employers in our growing economy mustn’t expect young hirees to fit in with their businesses job requirements, but must tailor the jobs to satisfy the whims and fancies of our youths!!! All your Eyewitness could think after he closed his gaping jaw was, “What the f***?”!!! He immediately googled UG’s release on their Capacitation Conclave – which announced it was curated by “Vice Chancellor of UG, Prof. Paloma Mohamed Martin, A FUTURIST OF GLOBAL REPUTE”!!
So, she sees Guyana’s future in the hands of a bunch of goof-offs??

…mediocrity
Evidently, the highlight of the Capacitation Conclave was the signing of a MOU with a Florida (Catholic) Saint Leo University. According to Wiki, “In February 2023, it closed some of its satellite locations, eliminated 111 faculty/staff positions, cut three-degree programs, facing continuing enrollment declines and financial issues.”