Blackbelly sheep project aims for million-strong flock

The ambitious goal of expanding the Barbados Blackbelly Sheep industry to a population of one million sheep remains viable despite public scepticism, according to Dr Leroy McClean, consultant for the Blackbelly Sheep Expansion Project.

Addressing farmers and stakeholders at an open day held at the Animal Nutrition Unit on Wednesday, McClean reaffirmed the project’s objectives, dispelling misconceptions and underscoring its critical role in bolstering food security in Barbados and the wider Caribbean.

McClean stressed that reaching the 1m target is not an overnight undertaking but a carefully structured long-term strategy.

“When people hear about a million sheep, they say you’re crazy,” he acknowledged. “But when we analyse the numbers, we see that it is entirely possible.”

The expansion is directly linked to the St Barnabas Accord, a partnership between Barbados and Guyana aimed at strengthening regional food security. Under this agreement, Barbados committed to sending 1 000 Blackbelly Sheep to Guyana, leveraging that country’s extensive land, water and grazing resources to accelerate industry growth.

“This is not about Guyana or Barbados—it is about Guyana and Barbados,” McClean emphasised, noting that the joint project was a success. “There have been false claims that all our sheep have been sent away and that none remain in Barbados. That is utter nonsense.”

The expansion of the sheep population in Guyana is being facilitated through the Guyana Livestock Development Agency, which has already distributed animals to 140 farmers. Notably, 30 per cent of recipients have been women, in line with the Guyanese government’s policy of ensuring equal distribution to women, youth and people with disabilities.

McClean highlighted Barbados’s heavy dependence on imported lamb, revealing that over a six-year period, the country imported an annual average of 1.3m kilogrammes of sheep meat at a cost of approximately $14m per year. When combined with local production, the total retail market for lamb in Barbados exceeds $24m, presenting a lucrative opportunity for farmers.

“If we are spending $24m annually on lamb, why aren’t we positioning our farmers to capture that market?” he questioned. “Our objective is to reduce and ultimately eliminate our import bill.”

Beyond meat production, he underscored the potential for a high-value leather industry, citing previous tests that confirmed the Barbados Blackbelly Sheep hides produce some of the finest-quality leather in the world. However, to realise this potential, achieving a critical mass of sheep is essential.

One of the primary challenges to profitable sheep farming in Barbados is the high cost of feed, which McClean described as unsustainable under traditional rearing methods. To counter this, the project is promoting domestic feed production using agricultural byproducts such as cassava skins, river tamarind and cottonseed.

“Farmers cannot achieve a good return on investment if they rely on expensive commercial feed,” he stated. “By developing alternative feed options using local inputs, we can significantly reduce costs and enhance profitability.”

(SZB)