Assistance is being provided to Farmers whose plantations were damaged by the floods of December 2013.
The Ministry of Agriculture says the assistance is being provided through the FAO-sponsored relief project dubbed: Emergency Assistance for the Recovery of Vulnerable Farmers Affected by the December 2013 Rains and Winds
The project, which is being carried out at a cost of 320-thousand US-dollars, targets all small scale Farmers who have no apparent means or capacity to restore production on their Farms.
On Tuesday, a group of sixteen poultry Farmers were presented with batches of broiler chicks from the
Ministry of Agriculture, through the Animal Health and Production Division.
Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr. Kathian Hackshaw said the recipients were presented with 1-thousand 1-hundred live chicks with 57 sacks of broiler starter feeds to commence the production cycle.
Mrs. Hackshaw said during the six to seven week production cycle, the Farmers will be assisted with broiler grower and finisher, until the birds are ready for the market. She said the Farmers will also be monitored and provided with the technical assistance from the Animal Health and Production Division.
The local livestock sector is said to have sustained damage amounting to 700-thousand dollars during the floods, affecting close to two thousand Farm Units. The project will provide for the replacement of pedigree stock for sheep, goats, cattle, pigs and poultry; the provision of feed and medication; the provision of materials to replace damaged Farm Houses and the restoration of the sole Poultry hatchery at Dumbarton Agricultural Station.
