Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) has announced the arrival of its first shipment of high-yield dairy cattle from the United States, marking a significant step toward reviving large-scale dairy production in Guyana at a site with deep historical roots.
In a press release issued on May 9, DDL said 89 pregnant heifers landed at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport at approximately 3:30 a.m., representing the first phase of a US$30 million investment by its subsidiary, Demerara Dairy Inc. (DDI).
The cattle were transported under strict biosecurity protocols in a coordinated operation involving multiple agencies. After arrival, the animals were moved from a specialised Amerijet charter aircraft to flatbed trucks and transported under police escort to Moblissa along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, where the company is establishing a modern dairy facility.
According to DDL, the transfer—lasting about three hours—was overseen by specialists from the Guyana Livestock Development Authority along with company officials to ensure high animal welfare standards. The heifers are now being acclimatised in a climate-controlled facility designed to maximise productivity.
DDL Executive Chairman Komal Samaroo described the development as transformative.
“The arrival of these ‘first cows’ is indisputable testimony to DDL’s commitment to being a game-changer,” Samaroo said. “We are not just building a farm; we are building a sustainable industry that will transform Guyana’s agribusiness sector and provide long-term food security for the region.”
While the investment is being framed as a new chapter, Moblissa itself is not new to dairy ambitions. The area was once the centre of one of Guyana’s most ambitious state-led agricultural projects under Forbes Burnham and the People’s National Congress (PNC) government during the 1970s and 1980s.
At the time, the state established the LIDCO Dairy Farm at Moblissa as part of a broader push for agricultural self-sufficiency under the “co-operative republic” model. The project was envisioned as one of the largest dairy operations in the Caribbean, attracting workers and families to the area and serving as a backbone of the local economy.
Historical accounts, including reporting by the Guyana Chronicle in 2018, note that “Moblissa was earmarked as having the largest dairy operation in the Caribbean” before the project’s decline and downsizing around 1990.
That earlier state-driven effort was later dismantled under policies implemented by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government, leaving the once-thriving dairy hub largely dormant for decades.
The current DDL initiative therefore represents not only a major private-sector investment but also a revival—albeit under a different model—of Guyana’s long-standing ambition to achieve dairy self-sufficiency.
The project aligns with CARICOM’s “25 by 2025” food security initiative, which aims to reduce the region’s food import bill. Guyana currently spends tens of millions of US dollars annually on dairy imports, a gap DDI hopes to significantly reduce through local production.
DDL also credited several state agencies for facilitating the smooth operation, including the Guyana Revenue Authority and the Guyana Police Force, along with airport authorities and ground staff.
With additional shipments and infrastructure expected in the coming months, the Moblissa project is poised to re-establish the area as a central hub for dairy production—this time driven by private investment, but rooted in a legacy that stretches back decades.
