Works progressing rapidly on 3,000-tonne silos, drying tower

PRESIDENT, Dr Irfaan Ali has said that works are progressing rapidly on three 3,000-tonne silos and one 80-tonneper hour drying tower at Tacama Landing, along the Berbice River.

The President, in a post on his official Facebook page, said the facilities when completed, will support the cultivation of corn and soya.

In a past interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha had said that works were in progress to extend the farm in the Tacama Savannah to some 4,000 acres.

“In 2021, we would have started the trial of 125 acres and it was very successful and we harvested three tonnes per hectare, and that is aligned in getting the kind of production we want; because of that, we said we will expand to 3,000-4,000 acres this year and we will continuously increase, so the next three years we can expand to 25,000,” Mustapha said.

The country will not only become a supplier to the regional market, but will also be self-sufficient in producing its own feed for livestock.

“Now if we can move to 25,000 acres, this means we will be self-sufficient two times per year and we will also be a net exporter,” Minister Mustapha said.

In 2021, six local companies and a regional firm joined together to undertake the massive project that could see Guyana becoming self-sufficient in corn and soya bean over the next few years.

The owners of Guyana Stockfeeds Incorporated., Royal Chicken, Edun Farms, SBM wood, Dubulay Ranch, and Bounty farm ltd., along with the Brazilian-owned, N F agriculture, have partnered to produce soya bean and corn for both the local and regional markets.

With Guyana expending close to US$25 million annually on proteins for the poultry sector, the government since being elected to office in 2020, has taken steps to pro - mote domestic cultivation of grains such as corn and soya bean.

Advancement in the agricultural sector is imminent, as much emphasis is being placed on reducing Guyana’s and the Caribbean’s food-import bill by 25 per cent by 2025, through the increased production of high-value crops to meet its market demands, among other things.

Mustapha had said that the country in 2021 spent $2.6 billon on the importation of high-value crops, such as broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. It is for this reason that the government intends to continue the diversification of the agricultural sector this year.

Minister Mustapha said that while agriculture is one of the main sectors that will help to diversify the country’s economy, much more work has to be done in the sector. He related that the goal is to first become self-sufficient, which will see Guyana producing enough food locally to satisfy the demands of people.