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Onion pilot project yields 2,000 bags
…as Govt. eyes national expansion
(Kaieteur News) – Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha yesterday announced early success in a pilot onion cultivation project in Region Nine (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo) as the government moves to reduce long-standing reliance on the importation of onions and boost local production.
Mustapha spoke to reporters about the initiative at Lot 19 Sandy Babb Street, Kitty – the residence of distributor Abdul Wahab – where he revealed that approximately 2,000 bags of onions, each weighing 20 kilograms, were harvested from a four-acre pilot farm operated by Region Nine farmer Chris Moses with support from the Ministry of Agriculture.
The minister said the project has already attracted widespread interest, with several regions expressing readiness to join the effort. He noted that Regions Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam), Five (Mahaica/Berbice) and Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) have signalled their intention to begin onion cultivation, prompting directives for the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) to collaborate with interested farmers.
“This is a pilot project of four acres. The next crop, I am hoping we can go into about 200 acres of onion cultivation,” Mustapha said, noting that such expansion could position Guyana to meet its domestic demand. “If we can cultivate 200 acres, we can be self-sufficient in producing all our needs in Guyana,” he added, expressing optimism that production could eventually surpass that target. He shared that the initiative is in keeping with efforts to diversify agriculture and promote high-value crops, pointing to ongoing work in crops such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, lettuce, corn and soya, and noting that additional crops include beets and dragon fruit.
The minister reflected on how Guyana has historically relied on imported onions, making local production a key priority for the government. He noted how this pilot project reflects growing calls for the country to produce more of what it consumes. “We have been importing onions for a very long time. This has been one of the talks around the country – that we should produce our own things that we can grow right here.”
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Wish they could have include GARLIC also, under climate control.
Since Onions and Garlic go well together in curries etc.
However, Garlic needs COOLER temperature to set the cloves prior
to harvest late Spring.