The Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) has confirmed that arrangements are complete for its Second Annual Ruminant Expo on Sunday 25 October at the Rising Sun Turf Club in Weldaad, West Coast Berbice. Gates open at 11am, and the event runs under the theme "Advancing the Ruminant Revolution: Building a Sustainable Value Chain". It is aimed at breeders, producers, entrepreneurs and prospective investors, and the public is invited.

The first expo took place at the same venue on 12 October 2025 as part of Agriculture Month. Farmers from Regions Three, Four, Five and Six attended that event. This year the GLDA says the programme is meant to encourage knowledge exchange, sustainable production, investment and enterprise development.

Organisers expect more than 100 animals from producers in Regions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 10. Nelore cattle will be among the breeds on display, and the GLDA says their inclusion will show how improved genetics raise productivity, adaptability and the long-term sustainability of the industry. Live animals will be offered for direct sale, giving established breeders, prospective farmers and commercial buyers a place to trade in person.

The authority will also present its own services. These cover genetics, animal production and pasture development, along with the work of the Animal Nutrition Laboratory, and technical teams will advise visitors on livestock production and sector opportunities. Officers are expected to take questions on artificial insemination, financing and farm management. The services have a track record with the farmers who exhibit. Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha said last year that the animals on show belonged to farmers who had used breeding stock, artificial insemination or embryo transfer from the GLDA's genetic improvement programme.

The competition covers cattle, sheep and goats, with 21 prizes on offer. Region 3 is reported to have the largest entry of sheep and goats. Last year Colin Griffith of Region Five was named winner of the inaugural ruminant competition, and Marlon Fraser, representing Region Four, took first place in the small ruminant show. Both regions can be expected to contest the titles again.

A further strand of the programme concerns income from products made from the animals. Demonstrations of downstream processing will include artisan cheese and other dairy and meat items. The GLDA says these activities are intended to encourage farmers to support enterprise development beyond selling live animals. The idea has an infrastructure behind it. The authority's ruminant abattoir at Onverwagt is designed to process cattle and other ruminants to internationally accepted sanitary and phytosanitary standards. A farmer who can sell cheese or processed meat depends less on the price of a live animal at the farm gate.

Visitors will also find the annual Mutton Curry Competition, in which cooks from the Guyana School of Agriculture return as defending champions. The West Berbice Sheep and Goat Association, which describes itself as the country's largest association of its kind, will supply food and refreshments at affordable prices. Family entertainment is planned for the afternoon.

The expo has grown from a single-day show of local animals into an event that links breeding, sales, advice and processing. Whether it brings the investment its organisers want will depend on what buyers and entrepreneurs commit to on the day and in the months afterwards. The GLDA has said it will use the gathering to show how improved genetics and a longer value chain can raise returns for the people who keep the animals.

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