3000-tonne silos, drying tower for corn & soya to be operational by September

…will commence operations in time for next harvest

Guyana’s corn and soya bean industry will receive a further boost as three silos with a combined capacity to store 9000 tonnes of grain and a drying tower, are on track for start-up by September of this year.
The three silos, each with the capacity to store 3000 tonnes of grain and an 80-tonne per hour drying tower, are currently being constructed at Tacama Landing on the Berbice river. The facilities are intended to support the corn and soya being cultivated at a farm in the Tacama Savannah in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

On his social media page, President Dr Irfaan Ali announced that testing and a virtual tour of the facility was done on Monday. Further, it was announced that the facility will be operational by the next harvest in September of this year.
During his most recent press conference, President Ali had spoken of the Government’s investments in high value crops, including corn and soya. He also pointed to the Government’s 150 per cent increase in budgetary allocations to agriculture that took it from $13.3 billion to $33.2 billion.
“We’re bridging the production gap, ramping up production in crops such as rice and sugar, expanding the corn and soya production, high value crops, the shade house initiative wheat trials, expansion of the livestock industry, swine, beef, poultry, black belly sheep, fisheries, establishment of shrimp farms and cage culture farming.”
“These are all new areas that are emerging in the modern agriculture infrastructure landscape, to support sustainability and resilience in food production,” President Ali further explained during the opening statement of his press conference.
The soya bean is 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.
The large-scale trial cultivation of corn and soya bean was announced by the Government in 2021. In the feed industry, Guyana imports close to US$30 million in products annually. The aim is to not just attain self-sufficiency but establish the country as a net exporter of soya.
The key stakeholders in the massive corn and soya bean project include the Government, farmers, and the private companies. The Government has played a crucial role in supporting the growth of the industry, with a commitment of over $1.2 billion to infrastructural development in the Tacama area.
Last year, the Government improved access to the area by constructing 40 kilometres of road, with the remaining seven kilometres scheduled to be completed in 2023. Additionally, the Government invested in the drying and storage facility for the corn and soya, establishing the first such facility in the country.
In 2021, the Government started the trial of 125 acres of corn and soya bean, which showed major success. Previously, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha had said that the intention was to continuously increase production to cover at least 25,000 acres by 2025. The Minister had expressed the belief that the aim of becoming self-sufficient by 2025 was ambitious, but with the continued support of the Government and the private sector, it was achievable.
The Government’s investment in infrastructure and facilities is expected to significantly increase the yields and profits of farmers, and boost the country’s economy. Minister Mustapha has already announced his Ministry’s plans to start cultivating corn and soya bean in Moco Moco village, North Rupununi.
The Ministry is also assessing the capacity in other regions, with the aim of taking the project there in the future. Meanwhile, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government has provided farmers with subsidies and training programmes to help increase their yields and improve their livelihoods. (G3)