GUYANA-Guyana records significant increases in rice, corn, and soya production.

0
317
Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha giving an update on the, rice corn and soya production at his year-end press conference

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, DecC—Guy is reporting increased rice, corn, and soya production this year and intends to expand production in the new year.

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha said that with 725,282 metric tonnes of rice this year, Guyana has surpassed its target and achieved a record-breaking milestone in its agriculture sector.

“I want to say that this is a record-breaking production since our country’s introduction of rice production. We have increased yield from 5.7 tonnes in 2020 to 6.6 tonnes per hectare in 2024,” he told reporters.

In 2024, Guyana exported 425,490 metric tonnes of rice and by-products to 30 countries, totaling US$254 million. Mustapha said the country has also secured new export markets, further boosting its agricultural profile.

Mustapha said that over the past four years, rice production has seen a steady increase.

In 2021, Guyana produced 569,789 metric tonnes of rice. The amount increased in 2022 to 610,595 tonnes, and in 2023, 653,706 metric tonnes of rice were harvested.

The staggering increase in rice production was due to the introduction of four new rice varieties over the past four years.

“For 2024, we have developed the new GRD 18 with a yield potential of seven to nine tons per hectare. This was launched in October of 2024. Since 2020, we have released three other varieties, including GRDB 16, GRDB 18, and the Bio-fortified rice, which is GRDB 17,” Mustapha said.

All new rice varieties have a yield potential between seven to nine tonnes per hectare.

Increased rice production is also attributed to improvements in the capacity of the various seed-paddy facilities throughout the country.

Mustapha said that the tremendous improvement reflects the government’s commitment to boosting agricultural production in the country, noting that in 2024, the ministry was allocated a sum of GUY$97.6 billion (One Guyana dollar=US$0.004 cents) to help improve efficiency and the management of its rice sector.

Meanwhile, Guyanese farmers cultivated 12,000 acres of corn and soya in 2024, and Mustapha said that while this is a remarkable accomplishment, the goal is to expand production in 2025.

“We are hoping by next year that this will be increased to 25,000 acres twice annually with a potential for further expansion because this is the amount we need to be self-sufficient.”

He said that the government invested significantly in the Tacama, Savannah area along the Berbice River, where more than 40 kilometers of road were constructed to become self-sufficient.

An 18,000-tonne silo has also been erected, and a conveying system consisting of a wharf is currently under construction that will ensure that corn and soya are effectively transferred onto ships for export markets abroad.

“We are also working aggressively to be self-sufficient by the end of next year to produce all our black-eyed and red beans. As I am speaking, works are ongoing on roads in the Kimbia area [Region Ten], where we are working on a private-public partnership to harvest those beans,” Mustapha said.

He said 2,000 acres of land had been earmarked for this mega project, land preparation, and limestone application have already been completed, and 32 kilometers of road have been constructed.

Like corn and soya, a silo with a storage capacity of 15,000 tonnes has also been procured for the black-eyed and red beans. With 200 hectares of beans about to be sowed, Mustapha expects the crop to be ready for harvest as early as March 2025.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here