Work ongoing to increase production of corn, soy, onion – Mustapha

The Agriculture Ministry and entities under its guidance are working assiduously to ramp up the production of lucrative crops such as corn, soya, onion and wheat.
During a recent interview, Minister Zulfikar Mustapha disclosed that Government’s collaboration with the private sector to implement the development of corn and soya bean has been very successful.

Some $967.8 million has been budgeted in 2024 to increase the capacity of the Tacama facility which will include the installation of a conveyor system.
Additionally, the agriculture minister further revealed that the 12,000-tonne silo which was built will be extended to a 18,000-tonne silo to process the corn and soya.
He explained that Guyana can save almost US$60 million annually if corn, soya are grown twice per year.
“By the end of this year, we will move corn and soya production roughly to about 12,000 acres. If we do that two times per year, we will produce all the livestock feed and we will save approximately US$60 million annually. At the same time, we will be a net exporter,” he further divulged.
Minister Mustapha continued, “We are now going into large-scale production of corn and soya…We are hoping that, by the end of next year, we can cultivate 25,000 acres of corn and soya”.

Onion
Meanwhile, with promising results from onion-cultivation trials, Guyana is poised to fulfil local onion demand by expanding production at the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) at Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara.
The government has already developed 10 acres of land for another trial in onion production, following the success of the first crop.
The onion project spans 2.6 acres of land and land space for the project continues to increase.
The Brazilian variety of onions, which was imported to reduce the country’s dependence on imports, demonstrated a harvest of about 9.5 tonnes per acre across the 12 beds.
According to Minister Mustapha, onions could be produced twice a year with favourable results.
“We have already started the trial. Last time, we had 18 tonnes per acre. We are looking to increase that. We have started a 10 acre [plot] for another trial in onion production” he said.
During an assessment of the cultivation of high-value crops and the onion project in November, 2023, President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali emphasised the importance of strategically focusing on regional markets, anticipating lower import costs and a major boost to national food security.

Wheat
Moreover, the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) has also started the trial for wheat, following the importation of several varieties from Argentina and India.
More strains of wheat are currently being examined for the Guyana Market.
Minister Mustapha emphasised the importance of diversifying markets and reducing dependence on any single region, citing ongoing efforts to explore opportunities beyond North America.
He noted that the exploration of new wheat varieties aligns with the government’s commitment to advancing the agricultural sector and ensuring sustainable development.
This is why Guyana has also diversified into the cultivation of other crops such as citrus, spices, cocoa, coffee, hemp, millet, wheat, and barley.
These are some of the new crops that are at experimental stages that Guyana intends to add to its crop production in the coming years. The undertaking of traditional and non-traditional crops is all part of efforts geared towards Guyana and the Caribbean region achieving food security by the year 2025. (G1)