Guyana’s agricultural production continues to rise steadily – Mustapha tells Reg 3 farmers

For the past four years, Guyana has shown exponential growth in its agriculture sector, with increased yields in its main crops such as rice and sugar, and even in its poultry production.
The increase is due to the huge sums invested in research to ensure better quality crops are reaped and that there is diversification of new crops into the agriculture industry.
During a meeting with Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) farmers last week, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha noted that the increase in yield is not from the addition of planting lands, but rather from the proper practice of crop husbandry.

Crop husbandry is the practice of cultivating and managing crops by selecting suitable soils for different types of crops, and preparing the soil for optimal growth.
In 2022, some 610,000 tonnes of rice were produced, while there was a production of 653,000 tonnes last year. This year, a target of 710,000 tonnes has been set in the agriculture sector.
Additionally, 2023 had seen an increase of almost 60 per cent in sugar production.
“In all the areas, we have been doing research to increase the yield. We haven’t increased the acres of land for rice, we are still planting between 200,000 to 220,000 acres of land. We used to produce between 550,000 tonnes to 600,000 tonnes of rice on the same measure of land, and now we are producing more. We used to get 5 tonnes per hectare, now Guyana is receiving 6.7 tonnes per hectare from the same land,” Minister Mustapha recounted.

The increase, he noted, is also from the Rice Research Station in Burma, Mahaicony, Region Five, which is generating a better variety of rice.
Moreover, turning his attention to the livestock industry, the agriculture minister disclosed that last year there was an 11 per cent increase in livestock production. With the new abattoir being built at Onverwagt in Region Five, Minister Mustapha emphasized, there is need to ramp up activities of cattle and poultry rearing countrywide.
“If we are building the abattoir, we have to get animals to slaughter there. So, that is why we are resuscitating our cattle industry. We have intensified the Artificial Insemination Programme and, for the first time in our country, we have started the Embryo Transplant Programme,” the agriculture minister stated.
A contract has been signed with a Brazilian company to perform embryo transplantation in Guyana. These transplants consist of sure pregnancy within cattle to produce high-breeding animals. Already, 50 transplants have been conducted in 2023, while another 250 are expected to be done between 2024 and 2025.
Mustapha further pointed out that 63 breeding bulls were brought into the country from Texas last year, to assist farmers in getting better breeds within their cattle farms. And as it pertains to poultry, the ministry has started its Breeders Programme that is aimed at producing its hatching eggs. In 2023, some 27,000 eggs were produced.
Not only will these investments contribute to the food security bill being reduced by 25 per cent by 2025, but they would also aid in developing every other sector in the country.
“So, as long we can save these funds from importation and produce our crops and livestock right in our country, then those monies can be used in other areas and improve the other sectors,” the minister stressed.