Continued training for GLDA’s field staff – CEO Cumberbatch
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
The Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), in its continued efforts to provide quality extension service to livestock farmers across the regions, is targeting tertiary and specialised training for its officers.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the agency, Nigel Cumberbatch, in an exclusive interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI), said “what we have are people who would’ve been trained at the University of Guyana, leading the charge as it relates to extension in all 10 of the regions”. According to Cumberbatch, the GLDA recognises that there is a need to augment the number of qualified officers in the field.
CEO of GLDA, Nigel Cumberbatch
Further, Cumberbatch said, despite the presence of adequately trained veterinarians who service the regions, the livestock authority is making efforts to also bolster its numbers.
“We feel strongly that the veterinary aspect is good at the moment, we recognise that we need more veterinarians within the system. However, to train a veterinarian takes quite some time, and so on the horizon, I don’t know that we have any coming back in, perhaps some will be sent to do training in 2018. As such we have to preserve those that are here; ask them to do even more work in order to ensure the issues of animal health, welfare, quarantine and inspection within the various districts are serviced.”
According to Cumberbatch, the emphasis on training and professional development is in keeping with the authority’s desire to improve on its data-driven decision making which will in-turn have a positive effect on livestock production.
“Our regional coordinators are veterinarians, who I must admit they do a very good job, but our veterinarians are trained in the areas of animal health, animal quarantine and animal welfare. What we were finding is that as it relates to the production activities, the persons who would’ve been trained in animal production and animal science are focusing more on animal health. Thus, we were not getting the type of information that we were hoping for from animal production per se. So, we recognised that we have to improve and increase the number of persons who would have to be been trained in animal production in the extension districts,” Cumberbatch said.
Through collaborative efforts, three staff members have recently concluded a training attachment at the University of the West Indies (UWI) where they underwent training in parasitology and serology. The GLDA is also in discussions with the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) with regard to training in the areas of Microbiology, foot and mouth disease and rabies.
The GLDA is the agency of the Ministry of Agriculture tasked with the monitoring and provision of support services to the livestock sector. Its services include advisory, artificial insemination, and veterinary support.
Further information on the GLDA can be had at telephone number 220-6556
By: Kidackie Amsterdam
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