Guyana not ready to export: vet

He says the industry is facing a number of difficulties that it will have to overcome before it can contemplate seeking to supply the overseas market.

“We are nowhere near ready to export poultry. The fact of the matter is that the local poultry industry simply could not withstand the rigours and the demands of an export market,” the veterinarian said.

Government officials said recently that Guyana’s poultry industry could be on the verge of exporting poultry meat. In contrast, the veterinarian said that the health and safety preconditions for the export of poultry meat would preclude Guyana from exporting poultry meat at this time.

He said that importers of poultry meat customarily sought ‘iron clad assurances’ about the condition of the industry and the circumstances under which the poultry were being reared.

The veterinarian said the Guyana Poultry Producers Association must address issues such as irresponsible industry practices and the absence of safety control mechanisms before the industry can go forward.