On Wednesday, July 24, 2024, ninety-nine goats and forty-eight rabbits landed at Argyle International Airport as part of the World Bank-funded UBEC/CERC-CRW SVG Food Insecurity Project.
This delivery marks the first of two installments aimed at improving food security in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The initiative represents a significant milestone in the project’s goal to enhance food security in the region.
Chief Veterinary Officer Dr. Kathian Hackshaw provided a breakdown of the breeds of the received animals and what the long-term plans are for them.
“We received 99 goats. Of the breeds of goats, we have the Senan, the Anglonubian, the Boa, and also the Alpine. We receive 48 rabbits, and we have, of course, the large white and Flemish giant within the mix. So the animals we received today, they would be the parent stock of which we would breed, and then distribute the offspring, which would be pure bred as well to some satellite farmers and other farmers. The reason being is that Rabacca Farm is our sole supplier of pedigree animals, and we would like to have other farmers growing the same out there so persons can be able to purchase as well, to put into our national herd these different breeds.”
It is a result of the collaborative efforts between the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Rural Transformation, Industry, and Labour, and the Economic Planning Division of the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning, and Information Technology.
The project’s impact is expected to be sustained, benefiting both farmers and consumers across the country.
