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APNU slams ‘People First’ Budget as anti-farmer, anti-food production
(Kaieteur News) – The 2026 National Budget, branded “Putting People First,” will fail to reduce poverty and strengthen food security because it lacks vision and meaningful investment in agriculture, according to A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament Vinceroy Jordan.
Jordan, who led off the opposition’s contribution for the APNU’s 12-member parliamentary bloc, delivered a blistering critique of the fiscal plan during the budget debates, accusing the government of sidelining food production while driving up the cost of living.
He said, “This government is not serious about food production and food security and wanting Guyana to return to being the breadbasket of the Caribbean…a mere $1.9 billion goes to livestock and $3.3 billion to other crops. Mr. Speaker, to the area which generates our foods including meat and milk only a mere 4.5% of the entire budget is allocated. This is not putting people first.”
APNU MP, Vinceroy Jordan makes his contribution to the 2026 Budget Debates.
Jordan believes that any government serious about decreasing the cost of living would have ensured that each region enacts a sound plan for the development of sustainable agriculture to increase food production and contribute to reduction of the price of food, ensuring food availability and security.
According to Jordan’s analysis of the budget, $1.9 billion is allocated to livestock, with only $200 million to be invested in capital expenditure which caters for new projects, expansion and other such initiatives. On the other hand, $1.7 billion is directed to operational costs such as salaries and other expenses.
To this end, he questioned the ability of this meagre $200M to transform the livestock industry in Guyana. Jordan questioned, “How many bulls, how many livestock farms, how many pens will they build or improve, what sort of equipment could be purchased with $200 million when you still must pay retentions from last year. This is incompetence not agricultural development.”
He continued, “Where are the plans, where are the programs that would transform the agriculture sector, put food on our tables, and develop the lives and livelihoods of our people?”
The Opposition MP concluded that the Budget numbers are “misplaced” and “pulled from the skies” rather than developed on a sound plan with clearly defined objectives. Continuing to highlight the budget’s failure to address food production, Jordan pointed out that a troubling 0.35% of the $1.558 trillion budget is directed to the country’s main line of food production- crops and livestock.
He argued, “Sir, this is madness how could any sane caring government do this? This is pushing the people of Guyana further and further into abject poverty which is already at 32%.” Flagging what he described as misappropriation, the MP noted that of the $113.2B allocated to the Ministry of Agriculture, a startling $95.3 billion is allocated for Drainage and Irrigation and the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) two entities that have proven to be non-productive and clouded with mismanagement over the past six years of governance under this administration.
With 85% of the agriculture budget to be exhausted on two areas, Jordan urged reallocation of resources, as he foresees “hard times are ahead” with a large budget that he believes fail to deliver on its very theme. Jordan was keen to note that the Budget includes a meagre $5000 increase to old age pensioners; $3000 increase to public assistance and no wage increase for public servants, with no measure to reduce poverty or the high cost of living, according to him.
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