Gov’t to transform 40,000 acres into productive farmland in Upper Corentyne

A meeting held on Tuesday at the Classic International Hotel Conference Hall saw Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo and Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha engage in discussions with farmers on the government’s ambitious plan to transform 40,000 acres of land in Upper Corentyne into productive farmland.

Vice President Jagdeo announced that these lands, including privately held areas near Moleson Creek in Upper Corentyne, will benefit from a $2 billion investment in infrastructure to boost agricultural output.

“So right now, we have about $2 billion in the budget that I put aside. I made sure I put in there around budget time to fulfill the commitments we had,” he said.

While addressing the gathering of farmers, representatives, and stakeholders, Jagdeo outlined a strategy to utilise 25,000 acres of GuySuCo land at Skeldon for projects such as shrimp farming, hemp cultivation, and sugarcane.

He highlighted that former workers would be given opportunities for ownership in these ventures.

“…at Skeldon, we are thinking about getting involved in an ownership-type structure, so we put in the infrastructure there and then keep the remaining land, maybe around 20,000 acres, for the possible growth of cane again…” he added.

Additionally, the government is considering new sugarcane varieties that could potentially double current yields. The administration is also exploring the cultivation of onions using a high-yield hybrid variety.

“…Prolifically in Guyana, you know, in the past, it would grow at least… growing huge, very harvested, they are good quality and it’s not an experiment anymore, it’s done. It’s just to commercialise it and find the appropriate soil to grow it on so we could easily replace the onion import into this country by importing this seed from Brazil. It’s a hybrid seed…”

The Vice President further elaborated on plans to establish a tissue culture lab that would produce four million plants annually, along with a large-scale nursery. Additionally, training programmes for locals in seedling production are in the pipeline.

Infrastructure development is key, with efforts to improve remote access and provide support for farmers.

Jagdeo also announced that fishermen would benefit from a new facility at the Number 66 Wharf, encouraging its immediate use. He noted that the government is focusing on agricultural diversification to meet local demands, as well as modernising farming with mechanisation, drones, and soil testing labs.