Montego Bay, St James – The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Nubian pure-bred goat project, which operates from the Montpelier Agricultural Research Station in St James, was officially handed over to the parish’s advisory council of 4-H clubs.

The handing-over comes as the USAID seeks to ensure the sustainability of initiatives implemented under the Ridge to Reef Project, which comes to a close at the end of next month.

Under the goat project, 12 pure-bred Nubian goats were imported for cross-breeding with local goats in order to improve the quality and quantity of meat stock and provide training in animal husbandry skills for 4-H clubbities.

Some 60 goats were bred through the project and a revolving programme was implemented, where the clubbities were provided with an offspring and expected to give back to the programme, the first young produced from that initial gift. Farmers in the parish have also benefited from the project, through the provision of buck services.

At the handing-over ceremony last week, executive director of the Jamaica 4-H movement Lenworth Fulton said plans were already in place to expand the project, with the addition of female Boers to the stock.

He informed that the project would be extended to Trelawny and a facility was being constructed in the New Forrest area of that parish.

“The project here is also going to help our youngsters, some of whom we know are at a disadvantage,” Fulton said.

Project management assistant at USAID Dianne Dormer expressed the view that with proper animal husbandry practices, projects of this nature would lead to enhanced productivity, and lower cost to consumers.

She encouraged the 4-H clubbites to strive to replicate the project islandwide.