Guyana must boost local food production to meet growing demand from investors, tourists – Agri Minister

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Minster has urged stakeholders in the agriculture sector to enhance their production in response to the rapid influx of investors into Guyana.
He was at the time speaking at an interfaith service for Agriculture Month 2024.
According to the minister, with this mindset of preparing for the vast overflow of investors and visitors, Guyana can be adequately ready for any food concerns that may present itself.
“Now our economy is getting bigger, we are seeing the population is getting bigger we are seeing more people are coming to work in our country, the demands for food will be greater we will have to do more. We in this ministry, all of us we have a duty to ensure that we work as team and we work towards a vision, and that vision is to ensure that we have food security in our country.”

Taking the opportunity on the first day of the month to encourage persons in the agriculture sector, he urged them to work collectively to ensure adequate production.
“Let us be inspired by the knowledge of transformation, it does not happen solely, but it happens through a collective effort and that involves the hands that toil the soil, the minds that invest and innovate and the hearts that believes in the better future.”
On this point, he highlighted significant strides the agriculture ministry has been undertaking to ensure vast productions levels.
These span from cages, poultry farming and others.
“Before the end of this year we will be putting down another 50 cages in various vulnerable communities across this country, we are building a tissue culture lab because the need for planting materials is so great that the eleven nurseries we have across the country cannot supply the needs that the farmers have and we have taken that into consideration. We have contracted a group from India and by the end of this year that lab will be completed.”

Livestock
Meanwhile, speaking about the livestock sector, he pointed out that various enhancements have been experienced in poultry farming.
According to the minister, there is a 52 million hatching eggs target that the agriculture ministry has set for Guyana.
“We were able to produce 94 thousand hatching eggs and I am hoping that by the end of this year we can be able to produce 250 thousand but it is a small amount compared to 52 million we will be investing in some 6 modern tunnel houses where we will have the breeder to produce the eggs.”
He also signaled to an upcoming initiative soon to be revealed.
“Right now, we are producing a lot of table eggs and I don’t want to rush to make an announcement but shortly you will see a great initiative that we will unveil soon”
Since taking office, government has placed heavy emphasis on developing the agricultural sector by funding a number of initiatives. (G2)