The Guyana Poultry Producers Association (GPPA) has welcomed the measures announced by the Irfaan Ali government in its 2020 emergency budget.
The Association which represents thousands of farmers countrywide said in a statement on Friday expressed its gratitude to President Ali and the Government by extension for the measures announced.
“We know the current economic situation, which is further exacerbated by the COVID – 19 pandemic, has led to difficult circumstances and challenges for our government and so these measures are greatly appreciated,” the statement said.
The government had announced that in order to ensure that all inputs into poultry production are made affordable, with effect from October 1, 2020, there will be no VAT on fertilisers, agrochemicals, pesticides and key inputs in the poultry sector including poultry feed, building materials and packaging.
The Association believes this will go a long way in helping the industry to recover from the tremendous losses felt in the first half of 2020.
“These important measures will benefit the non-traditional agricultural sector immensely and we hope that the industry will use these concessions in an effort to make the sector more efficient and ultimately benefit the consumer.”
The Government also said that it will also be reverting the poultry industry to zero-rated VAT status.
This is expected to boost the sector’s production across small, medium and large-scale producers. Poultry farmers across the country can now accelerate expansion plans so that they can take advantage of the increased demand for poultry while keeping prices to consumers affordable.
