Farmers to get one bag of fertiliser for every acre cultivated – Pres Ali

…as Govt injects $2B into agri sector

In a bold move to further strengthen Guyana’s agriculture sector, President Dr Irfaan Ali on Friday announced a G$2 billion Government investment to provide free fertiliser to farmers across the country. Each farmer will receive one bag of fertiliser for every acre cultivated, in a bid to enhance production and ease input costs.
Speaking at a public meeting at the Hydronie Market Tarmac, Parika, on Friday, President Ali emphasised that this initiative reflects the Government’s long-standing support for agriculture, a sector he said is pivotal to national food security and economic resilience.
“This is not only this year — this has been our effort continuously since we came into office,” the President said, referencing similar support initiatives rolled out in 2023 and 2024, including an initial $1 billion fertiliser grant.
This year’s renewed support continues the Government’s efforts to drive agricultural productivity, which President Ali noted has already seen marked improvements under his administration. Between 2020 and 2024, productivity increased from 5.5 tonnes to 6.1 tonnes per hectare, a growth he attributed to “strategic policy interventions and the hard work of farmers.”

Additionally, the free fertiliser initiative is part of the Government’s broader plan to empower rural communities, maximise land use, and support climate-resilient food systems. President Ali noted that farmers are now better positioned than ever to produce more efficiently and contribute to Guyana’s growing reputation as the agricultural hub of the Caribbean.
“These investments are directly supporting our farmers — helping them to increase output, reduce costs, and improve livelihoods,” he said.
As global food prices remain volatile and input costs challenge small-scale producers, the move is likely to be welcomed by farmers across the country, especially those grappling with fertiliser affordability.
The Ministry of Agriculture is expected to roll out the fertiliser distribution programme in the coming weeks, with priority given to registered farmers and cooperatives.
This move follows several in the past including financial assistance, support for transporting and marketing agricultural produce, and efforts to secure minimum prices for paddy.
In fact, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo unveiled an ambitious plan to support other small sectors, including agriculture and mining. He noted that small farmers, particularly those with limited land holdings, often struggle to grow wealth from their land due to insufficient support. He pointed out that the Government is working on policies that will provide these small farmers with additional support and access to new opportunities.
For example, the Government is examining ways to assist farmers with access to new land, particularly land that has been reclaimed and drained to avoid flooding. The Government’s plan to build two large drainage canals in Berbice will help address these issues by draining tens of thousands of acres of previously unusable land. “These are lands that have been unoccupied for a long time. Now, they will be opened up for distribution to farmers, especially small farmers,” Jagdeo said.
“There are complaints from small farmers about leasing Government land. They say that the people leasing the land to them – often living abroad – are charging them $40,000 per year to lease an acre, which cuts into their profits,” Jagdeo explained.
Government also plans to construct a fertiliser facility right here in Guyana that will significantly bring down the operational cost for farmers.