$14 Million Allocated to Livestock Research

A sum of $14 million has been allocated to the Livestock Research and Improvement programme in the Ministry of Agriculture.

The funds, which have been earmarked in the 2004/05 Estimates of Expenditure, tabled in the House of Representatives today (March 31), are focused on improving livestock and animal products.

The allocation is for five sub-projects, including the Feeds Research and Evaluation for Livestock project, which received $2 million to carry out research at the Bodles and Montpelier research stations in St. Catherine and St. James, respectively, and includes forage development, evaluation, rehabilitation and animal nutrition studies.

Research and Evaluation of Breeding Systems for Dairy and Meat Animals has received $4.56 million to improve the productive performance of the native breeds of cattle as well as pigs, sheep and goats.

These include genetic evaluations, the provision of sire services and the establishment of a herd-recording programme.

Meanwhile, the Research and Evaluation of Husbandry Systems has been allotted $2.22 million at the Bodles and Montpelier research stations, with the aim of developing cost-effective feeding systems for the management of livestock.

The Sheep and Goat Project has received $2 million to maintain the purebred Anglo Nubian, Boer and native nucleus herds, as well as the development of husbandry systems for optimizing forage use. This project will be carried out at Bodles and Hounslow.

Another $3 million was allotted to the Goat Commercialization Project. This project will facilitate the expansion and development of farmers breeding herds, through the development of a national system of revolving does, and the provision of buck service to farmers.