Guyana’s soya bean industry expands as country moves toward self-sufficiency by 2026

Guyana’s drive to achieve self-sufficiency in soya bean and corn production by 2026 is rapidly gaining momentum, with major infrastructure upgrades and private investment transforming the Takama Savannah into a key agricultural zone.
During an interview, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha described the soya bean initiative as one of Guyana’s major agricultural success stories, highlighting the significant developments that have strengthened production and export capacity. “We have now increased the silo capacity there to 15,000 tonnes. We have built a wharf, and ships are now going directly to the Takama Landing. We have also built a conveyance system where the soya goes directly from the silos to the ship, and over the years, we will continue to install more state-of-the-art equipment,” Mustapha explained. The soya and corn project, located in the Intermediate Savannahs, is part of the Government’s wider vision to reduce the country’s dependence on imported animal feed ingredients. The Minister said storage capacity has already expanded from 12,000 to 18,000 tonnes, allowing for smoother export logistics and faster movement of grain.

“We have ships now being loaded there and bringing out the grain around the Berbice River into the Demerara River for easy access to poultry farmers who are now making their own feed. Places like Royal Chicken, Bounty, and other producers are benefiting from this,” Mustapha noted. He said the Takama area has seen a massive transformation through the construction of new roads and the establishment of supporting infrastructure, improving access for farmers and attracting new investors interested in other crops.
“We have an investor who wants to go there to do cocoa cultivation. That area will be a massive help for us in terms of new production,” the Minister revealed.
In addition to the progress at Takama, the Government is also building a 4,000-tonne silo at Ebini to support black-eyed pea production, with two private investors already preparing to begin cultivation.
Looking ahead, Mustapha expressed confidence that Guyana will soon become self-sufficient in corn and soya, and will eventually export to regional markets.
“I’m hoping that by next year we can be self-sufficient. By 2026, that 25,000 acres will not only make us self-sufficient but also make Guyana a net exporter in the Caribbean,” the Minister stated. One of the key benefits of this growing industry, according to Mustapha, has been a reduction in the cost of animal feed due to local production. “There have been reductions, and the large farmers are now producing animal feed at a lesser cost. Places like Bounty and Royal Chicken are producing most of their feed locally. They are using rice, corn, and soy as raw materials, and because of that, their cost of production has reduced tremendously,” he explained.