PNCR poultry project takes off at Buxton
Nine farms in pilot stage
Stabroek News
May 9, 2003
The PNCR says that a poultry broiler project for an initial nine small farms in the Buxton/Friendship area is progressing well and has received significant support from Bounty Farms Ltd.
The project is part of the Sustainable Village Revitalisation Programme which was launched in Buxton earlier this year and according to project co-ordinator, Charles Corbin, is just a pilot and could spread to a number of depressed communities. The project is among a number of initiatives to improve the situation in the village which has been at the centre of a crime wave since last year.
Speaking at the PNCR's weekly press conference, Corbin said in January he had been asked by his brother, PNCR leader Robert Corbin, to assist him in his initiative to improve the conditions of depressed communities.
Corbin during a fact-finding visit to the village earlier this year had spoken about the launching of a farm project. However, while the cash crop project is yet to come on stream due to technical and other reasons, the poultry project has been a welcome initiative, according to the co-ordinator.
Giving a background to the project he said that during several visits to Buxton/ Friendship, to map out the plan for the Buxton Development Project proposed by the PNCR leader several requests were made for assistance with broiler feed and for loans for poultry production.
He noted that following one roadside meeting the villagers were challenged to demonstrate their seriousness by gathering some data which would indicate their current capacity.
Within two weeks, Corbin said the NDC Chairman, Randolph Blair, contacted him to indicate that he had held two meetings with interested villagers and he thought that they were ready to move forward.
He recalled that a technical team was assembled, which included a veterinarian with experience in the local poultry industry along with personnel from the extension services division of the Ministry of Fisheries, Crops and Livestock. This team paid an initial visit to 22 farms and provided a technical brief based on their observations. Subsequently a meeting was held with the interested persons to discuss the findings and exchange ideas and information on the subject. An additional 33 persons whose premises were not visited attended this meeting wanting to be involved. However Corbin said they could not have included them all but assured that they would be included in the next phase once the persons in the pilot project had performed creditably.
Based on the assessment of the data gathered, both social and technical, a project was structured. He stated that Bounty Farm Ltd. was approached for its support and their positive and enthusiastic response provided the final elements to enable its implementation.
He noted that what was being implemented at the moment was a pilot project. Four farms were initially selected for the pilot but this later grew to nine. These farms have been upgraded to meet some basic standards in both physical conditions and size. The target capacity for these domestic farms is 500. Seven of the nine farms are at this level, one is at 450 and the other at 400. All of the farms, according to Charles, are equipped with the appropriate amount of feeders, automatic water dispensers and other requirements.
Participants in the project were provided with all the supplies for growing the birds, including baby chicks and feed, and a guaranteed market and price. Also participants in the pilot were required to participate in weekly business education sessions. These were intended to address such areas as budgeting, planning and market intelligence as an aid to decision making. Concepts such as income as opposed to profit were also addressed.
In terms of support, Corbin said capital support for this pilot project was approximately $1.9M with the range for each participant being between $170,000 and $235,000.
Corbin remarked, "I have seen a reservoir of resourceful, industrious and talented people ready to launch out into productive endeavours if given the opportunity."
He added that he had seen people struggling to ensure that they were not overcome by "learned helplessness".
"I have seen a community ready and prepared to be involved in any sociological intervention which they assess is genuinely intended to get it out of its current quagmire and lift the economic and social well-being of its members."
Charles acknowledged that it was gratifying to get the support of a significant corporate citizen and in such a tangible way. "This experience gives much hope to the community: it signals that their plight has been recognised and appropriately assessed and that it may not be long before other interventions of this nature by other significant players occur." (Nigel Williams)
