15 new investors to supercharge expansion of Guyana’s corn & soya project

Some 15 new investors are set to ramp up the country’s rapidly growing corn and soya industry.
The announcement was made by Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha during the recent ‘Guyana Dialogue’ programme, highlighting the project’s ability to attract the interest of more foreign investors and the country’s march toward self-sufficiency in key agricultural commodities.
“We have a number of almost 15 new investors that are going into corn and soya. The Tacama, the premier one is the Tacama Gold. They are cultivating approximately 5,000 hectares. They will be cultivating 5,000 hectares of corn and soya. We have a number of other investors who will be cultivating between 1,000 to 2,000. Some of them will be cultivating 3,000 acres and hectares also of corn and soya,” the Minister said.

Since the first trial cultivation of corn and soya in 2021, the industry has experienced remarkable growth. With Guyana currently importing close to US$30 million worth of feed products annually, the Government is determined to reverse this trend by becoming a net exporter of corn and soya by 2025.
The country’s strategic focus is not just on self-sufficiency but also on tapping into export markets, further strengthening its agricultural economy.
As more investors pour into the sector, Minister Mustapha noted that the future of Guyana’s corn and soya industry looks exceedingly promising.
On this point, he explained that greater access to livestock feed will allow the local industry to boost production.
“I am very optimistic that this year, by the end of this year, or by the end of this cropping period, for corn and soya, we should be self-sufficient there. We are seeing in the livestock industry, we are seeing a new and emerging set of persons coming into the livestock industry. What we have done there, we have started a new programme where we have brought in the technology that Brazil has in terms of embryo transplant. We are doing that now in Guyana. We have increased the number of farmers in the livestock industry, as a matter-of-fact last year the livestock industry grew tremendously,” the Minister disclosed.

The Government has been consistent in urging businesses to form consortiums.
Last year, Guyana was able to cultivate 12,000 acres of corn and soya.
The Government is hoping that this acreage can increase to 25,000 acres, with two harvests annually, during 2025.
The corn and soya bean project in the Tacama Savannah, located in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice), is spearheaded by a consortium of major agricultural firms. These include Guyana Stockfeed Limited, Edun Farms, and Bounty Farm Limited. Other notable investors joining the venture include Royal Chicken, SBM Wood, Dubulay Ranch, and the Brazilian-owned N F Agriculture.
Recognising the project’s national importance, the Government has committed over $1.2 billion towards infrastructural development in the Tacama area. This investment aims to create a conducive environment for large-scale cultivation by improving transportation, irrigation, and overall agricultural support systems.
In 2023, the Government improved access to the area by constructing 40 kilometres (km) of road, with the remaining seven km scheduled to be completed in 2023. Additionally, the Government invested in a drying and storage facility for corn and soya bean which will be completed by the first quarter of this year, establishing the first such facility in the country.