For the past four years, Guyana has shown exponential growth in its agriculture sector with increased yield in its main crops such as rice and sugar, and even in its poultry production.
The increase is due to the huge sum invested in research to ensure better quality crops are reaped and the diversification of new crops into the agriculture industry.
Speaking with farmers of the Pomeroon River in Region Two last Wednesday, Minister of Agriculture, 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, 610,000 tonnes of rice was 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 also saw an increase in sugar production of almost 60 per cent.
“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 Onverwag in Region Five, Minister Mustapha emphasised the need to ramp up the cattle and poultry activities 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 was signed with a Brazilian company to perform the embryo transplant in Guyana. These transplants consist of sure pregnancy within cattle to produce high-breeding animals.
Already, 50 transplants were conducted in 2023 while another 250 are expected to be done between 2024 and 2025.
Minister 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.
Meanwhile, as it pertains to poultry, the ministry has started its Breeders Programme 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 would 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.
