Guyana on track to become self-sufficient in corn, soya – Mustapha

…says 17,000 acres to be cultivated by year-end

As the Agriculture Ministry gears up to further increase collaboration with several private investors to expand crop production, Guyana is on track to becoming self-sufficient in the production of corn and soya by May 2026.

Guyana’s production of corn and soya bean has been on the rise with Government committing to the cultivation of these crops in keeping with its manifesto promise.
In 2021, Government started the trial of 125 acres of corn and soya bean, and major success was achieved. The goal has been to make the country self-sufficient in the production of these crops, which are often used as feed for the poultry sector.
Achieving self-sufficiency in corn and soy production is projected to result in substantial savings of foreign currency, approximating US$30 million. The country’s strategic focus is not just on self-sufficiency, but also on tapping into export markets, further strengthening its agricultural economy.
In an exclusive interview with Guyana Times, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha revealed that the People’s Progressive Party Civic Administration (PPP/C) is currently working to get more private investors on board this initiative in order to further bolster corn and soya production.
“I’m hoping (for) that, and I have been working with a number of private investors so that they can also come on board and increase corn and soy production. I’m hoping (that), by the end of this year, we can reach about 17,000 acres,” Mustapha disclosed.
In a year-end press conference, Minister Mustapha had indicated that during 2024, Guyana had allocated 12,000 acres for cultivation of corn and soy. This area was expected to expand to 25,000 acres by end of 2025, but the Agriculture Ministry is now aiming to achieve this goal in the second quarter of 2026.
“We are hoping that by the end of this cycle, by May next year, we can go to these 25,000 acres of corn. As long as we can do that, we will be self-sufficient…The cropping cycle ends in the following year May, so by the end of this cropping cycle, we should be able to cultivate 25,000 acres,” he detailed.
Government has consistently been urging businesses to form consortiums to tackle agricultural production. Last year, Guyana was able to cultivate 12,000 acres of corn and soya in a project in the Tacama Savannah of Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) spearheaded by a consortium of major agricultural firms that included Guyana Stockfeeds Inc, Edun Farms, and Bounty Farm Limited.
Among the other notable investors to have joined the venture were Royal Chicken, SBM Wood, Dubulay Ranch, and the Brazilian-owned NF Agriculture.
Recognising the national importance of the project, Government had committed more than $1.2 billion towards infrastructural development in the Tacama area with the aim of creating a conducive environment for large-scale cultivation by improving transportation, irrigation, and overall agricultural support systems.
Additionally, Government has invested in a drying and storage facility for corn and soya bean. It will be completed by the first quarter of this year, thereby establishing the first such facility in the country.