BUDGET 2025: Continued ‘rebuilding’ of agri sector with $104.6 billion allocation

Stating that the government is on a mission to continue rebuilding Guyana’s agriculture sector, Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh on Friday announced that a whopping $104.6 billion has been set aside for various food production ventures.

Dr. Singh revealed this sum as he presented the 2025 National Budget at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre at Liliendaal, Georgetown.

According to him, the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) government spent the past four years “rebuilding” the agriculture sector after the “callous and deliberate neglect” it suffered under the APNU+AFC coalition government from 2015 to 2020.

Key allocations in the agriculture sector include:

• $13.3 billion for the continued revitalisation of the sugar industry
• $430.9 million for the rice industry
• $2.9 billion for the development and expansion of other crops
• $116 million to support the expansion of the coconut industry
• $800 million to support the agro-processing subsector
• $1.7 billion for various initiatives in the livestock sector
• $1.3 billion for the further development of the fisheries and aquaculture sector
• $73.2 billion to upgrade and expand the national drainage and irrigation network

With these sums, numerous ventures will be undertaken to expand further food production and help Guyana achieve its food security targets.

Dr. Singh also reminded Parliamentarians that Guyana, once again, has lead responsibility for food security and agriculture in the Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) quasi- cabinet. And according to him, the country is demonstrating how targeted investments can lead to the expansion of food production.