- says investments being made to position the region as a major contributor to national and regional food security
Agriculture Minister, Hon. Zulfikar Mustapha, met with farmers from West Coast Berbice on Saturday, where he reaffirmed the government’s unwavering commitment to strengthening Guyana’s agriculture sector and improving the livelihoods of farming communities.
While addressing those present, Minister Mustapha outlined the massive, ongoing investments aimed at boosting production, modernizing infrastructure, and positioning the region as a major contributor to national and regional food security.
He explained that extensive works are underway across Region Five to minimize flooding and protect farmlands, noting that the construction of high-level canals is part of a wider drainage and irrigation upgrade.
“We want to make flooding minimal so that you can concentrate fully on your production. This is why we are building these high-level canals throughout the region, so that your lands remain protected and your crops secure,” he explained.
Highlighting major initiatives, Minister Mustapha pointed to the prawn project at Onverwagt. He also disclosed that the ministry is currently conducting surveys aimed at developing brackish-water shrimp ponds in the region.
“We’ve started the production of Vannamei prawns at Onverwagt, and we are now conducting surveys to develop brackish-water shrimp ponds in this region. We already started the production of brackish water shrimp in region six, and that project is doing extremely well,” he noted.
Minister Mustapha said that the rapid transformation underway in the agriculture sector is a direct result of His Excellency President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali’s vision and leadership. He also emphasized that government support for farmers continues to grow each year. Last year, farmers received half a bag of fertilizer per acre; this year, that allocation was doubled. He reported that Region Five alone received 150,000 bags of fertilizer, valued at more than G$970 million.
“All of this development is taking place because we have a President who is passionate about agriculture. Although we may face temporary setbacks, we will overcome them and continue to move this sector forward if we work together. We are making tremendous investments to ensure you have what you need to produce. In addition to the fertilizer support, this crop, we also distributed 500 bags of seed paddy free of cost to help reduce your production expenses,” Minister Mustapha explained.
Addressing concerns about fluctuating paddy prices, the Minister reminded farmers that prices are driven by international market conditions and not set locally. He explained that for the first crop of 2025, less than 20 million tonnes of rice were on the world market due to export bans from major producers such as India. This crop, however, sees millions of tonnes being released globally, pushing prices downward.
Minister Mustapha said that while global prices are low, Guyana remains on target to reach its production target of 810,000 to 820,000 tonnes of paddy for 2025.
While giving an update on the support farmers are set to benefit from to assist with low paddy prices, Minister Mustapha said the GRDB is currently compiling the list of beneficiaries.
He also encouraged rice farmers to take up the agricultural insurance scheme, noting that Guyana remains the only country in the region to offer a dedicated insurance premium for agriculture.
