1st crop of millet “good”; cultivation to expand this year as interest grows – Agri Minister

With the harvesting of millet still ongoing at the Tacama Mega Farm along the Berbice River in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha said this first crop of the grain in Guyana was a success and efforts are being made to further expand cultivation.
Some 1300 acres of millet were planted at Tamaca late last year. Harvesting started recently and already just over 70 per cent have been reaped.
“They started harvesting, and I know they had a good crop… They have about 400 acres more to harvest… The yield is one tonne per acre and there are 1300 acres,” the Agriculture Minister told Guyana Times on Sunday.

The cultivation of millet is an important part of the Government’s plan to achieve food security and slash the Caribbean Community’s high food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025 – an initiative that is being driven by President Dr Irfaan Ali, who is currently Caricom Chairman.
Following a visit to India last year, the Guyanese Head of State had announced that with technical assistance from the Indian Government, Guyana would be conducting test trials of millet in at least three regions.
Millet is a crop indigenous to India and is highly resilient. Hence, this first crop in Guyana is being deemed a success given the dry weather conditions being experienced in most farming areas here due to the El Niño phenomenon.
While the Government intends to expand the production and use of millet in the future, the initial use of the grain will be used in the production of livestock feed. Currently, corn and soya beans are being cultivated at the Tacama Mega Farm to produce the feed.

However, the Minister told this newspaper that several persons have expressed interest in having a go at millet cultivation – something which the Government hopes to start expanding this year.
“So, the millets that they have harvested and are presenting harvesting will be used for feed production now. But later on, when we have more increased, more large-scale production [of millet], there are many other areas that you can use millets for. It’s very nutritious too and can be used to make products for people to consume.
“So, I’m hoping this year we would have more [cultivation and] that 1300 acres would be expanded… We will take it to other regions. We will not only do it in one place, but we started it in the Tacama savannah to see how it will grow and now, we will move it to different parts of the country,” Mustapha explained.
Back in January, David Fernandes, Assistant Managing Director of Bounty Farm Ltd – one of the livestock companies that form the consortium that owns the Tacama Mega Farm, explained why millet was planted instead of corn and soya, which are to be cultivated during the May/June season.
He noted that it takes about 60 days to harvest millet. “Because it’s a short crop, it doesn’t need much rain; that’s why we couldn’t plant soya bean, we had to plant something a little more resilient, that didn’t need as much water,” he said.
While neither corn nor soya could be planted late last year, Fernandes, who is the Director of Tacama Mega Farm, assured that corn and soya will eventually be replanted. And further, he explained that there are plans in place for the current crop of millet when it is harvested.
The year 2023 was declared the International Year of Millets by the United Nations General Assembly.
India is a global leader in the production of millets, and Guyana and India have committed to collaborate on millet production. The South Asian nation is expected to provide technical support and guidance during production.
Millets are a highly varied group of small seeds and cereal crops. They are a powerhouse of nutrients: rich in proteins, vitamins, minerals and fibres. Based on the required environmental conditions for millet germination, Guyana is considered an ideal zone for the growth and development of the seed. Importantly, millet production would open up additional avenues for economic advancement, providing a new export market.
Corn and soya beans are also relatively new crops for Guyana, with cultivation having started only in 2021. President Ali had already announced that in another three years, the industry would see over US$40 million in investments that would help catapult the country into self-sufficiency and aid in realising the Region’s objective of reducing its food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025.
The Government has played a crucial role in supporting the growth of the corn and soya bean industry, with a commitment of over $1.2 billion to infrastructural development in the Tacama area.
In 2022, the Government improved access to the area by constructing 40 kilometres of road, with the remaining seven kilometres scheduled to be completed this year. Additionally, the Government invested in a drying and storage facility for corn and soya beans, the first such facility in the country.
It has previously been reported that plans are afoot to start cultivating corn and soya beans in Moco Moco Village, North Rupununi. The Agriculture Ministry has also been assessing the capacity in other regions, with the aim of taking the project there in the future.
Guyana has aspirations of being a net exporter of corn and soya by 2025. In the feed industry, Guyana imports close to US$30 million in products annually.
The farmlands at Tacama are being cultivated by a consortium that includes Guyana Stockfeed Limited, Edun Farms and Bounty Farm Limited. Other investors are Royal Chicken, SBM Wood, Dubulay Ranch, and the Brazilian-owned N F Agriculture. (G8)