Farmlands Guyana to cultivate 1000 hectares of soya, corn

The aim to make Guyana self-sufficient in the cultivation of inputs for the livestock sector is well underway, as Farmlands Guyana Incorporated becomes the newest investor to embark on planting soya beans and corn before the ending of 2023.
Investors from Farmlands Guyana Incorporated on Thursday met with Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha to discuss operations as the company gears up to commence work on an initial 1,000 hectares of land in the Tacama Savannah.
During the meeting, it was disclosed that 700 hectares will be used to cultivate soya and the remaining 300 hectares will be used to cultivate corn. The company is expected to commence cultivation in November, and hopes to increase its acreage to some 24,000 hectares in the coming years.
In September 2022, a technical team consisting of four technicians from Argentina and other officials from the company visited the area to conduct an assessment of the land, to determine the logistics involved with transporting inputs and outputs, water sources and irrigation solutions, soil types, existing infrastructure such as roads, storage and drying facilities, and varieties and types of inputs required to successfully cultivate corn and soya bean.

This is the second group of investors to have embarked on developing the industry to supply inputs for the production of feed for the livestock industry.
Local cultivation of corn and soya commenced in 2021 after President Irfaan Ali challenged local investors to get involved in cultivation of two of the main inputs for feed for the livestock sector.
During a trip to the Tacama Savannah in September 2021, the Head of State said that sustainable food and agriculture are the country’s future, and that Government would fully support the soya bean-and-corn project in Ebini, which will help produce much-needed feed for the poultry industry.
Minister Mustapha explained that Government has already invested hundreds of millions of dollars to support the industry. So far, works have been moving apace on the construction of facilities such as three 3000-tonne silos and one 80-tonne-per-hour drying tower at the Tacama Landing.
In 2022, some $887 million was budgeted to carry out infrastructural works needed to support the large-scale cultivation of corn and soya bean. Of that amount, $426 million was budgeted to complete the rehabilitation of 47 kilometres of a vital farm-to-market road linking Ituni to Tacama, starting from the junction of the Linden/Ituni road and heading east towards the Berbice River. In 2021, some $102 million was spent to commence rehabilitation works on the road.
Minister Mustapha said with the addition of another company in the large-scale cultivation of corn and soya beans, Guyana is well on its way to meeting its target of 25,000 acres in the next two years. (G12)