Trelawny Farmers to Benefit from Goat Rearing Project

The parish of Trelawny is about to engage in a goat upgrading project which should see a number of farmers benefiting under the agricultural development programme being carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture.

Parish Manager for the Trelawny branch of the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), Donald Robinson, told JIS News that the proposal for the goat expansion project in the parish had been submitted to the Ministry and was approved.

“During the course of this week we will be receiving the first assistance under this project which will include 30 does and two bucks,” he informed.

He mentioned that a total of 17 farmers would be benefiting from the project in the first instance, noting that these farmers were already involved in goat rearing on a small scale and that they already had some form of housing for the animals.

Explaining how the animals would be distributed among the farmers, Mr. Robinson said that a total of 15 farmers would receive two does each and that the remaining two farmers would each receive one buck.

“The project will be more or less centralized in two areas so that farmers with other local breeds can get the services of the bucks. We are also hoping that it will turn out to be a revolving project where we will be able to recollect the does from the first beneficiaries and allow other farmers in the parish to benefit under the revolving scheme,” he said.

Mr. Robinson further informed that RADA, through assistance from the ministry, would be constructing buck houses and that training sessions would also be held for these farmers who will be in possession of the animals.

Highlighting other plans for agricultural development in Trelawny, Mr. Robinson informed that it was the intention of RADA to build a centralized honey extraction plant to facilitate the bee farmers in the parish, as they would soon be benefiting from an expansion project as well.

He appealed to those farmers who will be participating in the goat expansion programme in the parish, to take the best care of the animals given to them as in doing so, they would reap the future benefits.