1000 acres soya bean under cultivation for March harvesting

Soya bean harvesting is set for March of this year, after cultivation in Guyana yielded successful results, the Agriculture Ministry has updated.
Some 1,000 acres of land in the Tacama Savannah are currently under soya bean cultivation. Since 2021, the group, which operates under the name ‘Tacama Gold’, has been able to increase its cultivation from 125 acres.
The large-scale trial cultivation of corn and soya beans by private investors was announced by the Government in 2021. The collaboration came after President Irfaan Ali met with the group and proposed a public-private partnership to commence the production of corn and soya beans – two of the main ingredients in livestock feed.
Harvesting is scheduled to take place in March, bringing Guyana one step closer to being self-sufficient in the production of inputs necessary for the production of feed for the livestock sector, the Agriculture Ministry has relayed.
As part of the 2021 National Budget, some $500 million was allocated to improve the requisite infrastructure to support the project. With Guyana spending close to US$25 million annually on proteins just for the poultry sector, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government, since taking office, has taken steps to promote domestic cultivation of grains like corn and soya bean.
Government, in its 2020 Emergency Budget, removed Value-Added Tax (VAT) on agricultural machinery, fertilisers, agrochemicals, and pesticides, making it more feasible for such investments.
In the feed industry, Guyana imports close to US$30 million annually. The aim is to not just attain self-sufficiency, but establish the country as a net exporter of soya.
In 2021, harvesting started at a pilot project of 115 acres of soya bean and five acres of corn in Ebini, Upper Berbice River – a joint venture between various local and foreign investors aimed at proving all raw materials for the production of livestock and poultry feed for the local sector.
Additionally, the Government has reversed land lease fees across all sectors and water charges back to 2014 rates. President Dr Irfaan Ali had said that, via more diversified crops, the aim would be to reduce the Caricom food import bill by 25 per cent.