Latest update November 8th, 2024 1:00 AM
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Corn, soya bean trial showing positive results
– $45M already invested in massive pilot project
Kaieteur News – Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, yesterday visited the Dubulay Ranch, which is located approximately 70 miles south of Georgetown along the Berbice River to get a first-hand look at the ongoing corn and soya bean trial.
Trial plot for soya bean that is currently under cultivation
The project, which is being undertaken by a group of local investors, came on stream after President, Irfaan Ali, announced government’s intention to be self-sufficient in producing proteins for the poultry industry. The Head of State had also disclosed that incentives would be made available for private individuals interested in coming on board with the government’s vision for the development of the sector.
With Guyana now taking the lead on advancing the agri-food systems agenda in CARICOM, the government is keen on finding ways to reduce the country’s as well as CARICOM’s food import bill. Guyana currently expends close to US$25 million annually on proteins for the poultry sector.
The group of investors, which comprises the owners of Guyana Stockfeed Limited, Royal Chicken, Edun Farms, SBM Wood, Dubulay Ranch, and Bounty Farm Limited, along with the Brazilian-owned N F Agriculture have so far invested approximately $45 million into the pilot project.
Assistant Managing Director of Bounty Farm Limited, David Fernandes, said that it was important for the team to commence trials of the two key inputs so that sufficient data could be gathered.
“…We planted 115 acres of soya bean and five acres of corn at this point. Those two crops will probably be reaped by the end of September and then we’ll plant again in November. At that point, we intend to plant 125 acres each of corn and soya bean. So far, it’s been quite interesting and exciting for us because the plants are now about 4 ½ weeks old and the soya beans look very good. The corn is still very young…,” Mr. Fernandes said while expressing gratitude to various government agencies and officials who provided guidance during the process.
Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, examines one of the young soya bean plants
Fernandes also expressed optimism with the outcome of the ongoing trial. He added that with the support received from the government and other international partners such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), commercial cultivation once commenced, will also display impressive production figures.
During yesterday’s visit, Minister Mustapha expressed his satisfaction with the project thus far. He also said that with access being a critical component to the success of large-scale and commercial production, infrastructural upgrades to the road leading to the Tacama Savannah are expected to commence shortly.
“I want to compliment the team for what they have achieved so far. Both the corn and soya bean pilot plots look very encouraging and I am very optimistic that this pilot project will yield exceptional results ahead of commercials and large-scale production of these two very important proteins for the poultry industry,” the Minister stated while adding that from the government’s perspective, it will be investing $500 million to upgrade and improve the infrastructure as part of its Intermediate Savannah Development Initiative. To facilitate production in the Tacama Savannah, he said, “We’ll be doing the 18km of road, drying floors and other facilities. As you know, access is critical when undertaking projects of this magnitude in these far-off locations. I am happy to inform you that tenders are currently out for the roads…Very shortly, tenders will be out for other key infrastructure in that area.”
Since taking office in August 2020, government has promoted the domestic cultivation of grains like corn and soya bean. Government, in its 2020 Emergency Budget, for example, removed value-added tax (VAT) on agriculture machinery, fertilizers, agrochemicals, and pesticides, thereby making it more feasible for such investments. Furthermore, in this year’s budget, an additional $500 million was allocated to develop the corn and soya bean industry. These sums will be invested to ensure the necessary infrastructure is in place to support private investment.
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