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Guyana to set aside 25,000 acres of land to C’bean for agri development
Kaieteur News – In an effort to reduce the region’s US$5 billion food import bill and meet other targets in the agriculture sector, Guyana will be opening up 25,000 acres of land to the Caribbean as the country lives up to its commitment of becoming the bread basket for the region.
(from left) Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, President Irfaan Ali, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd and Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud
This much was revealed on Sunday afternoon as President Irfaan Ali addressed the media at State House, following his return from the CARICOM Heads of Government meeting, held in Belize. During the press engagement, Ali explained that the regional demand for poultry feed was some 550,000 metric tonnes in 2020. This demand is expected to increase by about 17 percent in 2025, to about 645,000 metric tonnes, he said.
“To achieve that, we did some backward and forward analysis as to how much feed we will need to grow the industry and to see how we can create the opportunity…because we will require corn production, we will require soya production and that is why we will be pursuing the expansion of this, right here in Guyana”.
President Ali told media operatives that to achieve the Caribbean’s goals in poultry, close to 1.6 million metric tonnes of feed will be required. “Given that 65 percent of this will constitute corn, we will need more than one million metric tonnes of corn to produce this feed…so our intention here in Guyana of pursuing corn and soya is not only sustainable, it is integral in this equation of sustainability in terms of poultry and an increase in terms of production for the regional market.”
To achieve the increase in the demand for corn or to meet the 100 percent need of the Caribbean, 178,000 acres of appropriate land will be required the President explained.
In this regard, Guyana has made available 25,000 acres of land which he said would be open to farmers in Guyana and those in the Caribbean. “Guyana is willing to put the land assets up and if the Region can bring in the investment so that we can catalyze that land in increasing food production, so this has always been the case of Guyana and those lands are lease lands but we are advancing and not waiting…the farmers can be Guyanese, they can be anywhere from the Region. The farmers will come with the investment but it will be a collaborative effort and we have already started in terms of corn,” Ali pointed out.
He was keen to note that Guyana is at an advantage with its fresh water resource and viable lands available. The President reminded too that Guyana has already started an aggressive programme for the production of corn and soya in which it is targeting to produce 75 percent of the local demand by the end of 2023 after which it will expand to meet and contribute to the regional demand.
As regards to feed stock for the region, he did note that Suriname will also be contributing to the demand, while Belize is already on track to help achieve the targets through its agriculture production.
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