GOVERNMENT is working to ensure that Guyana becomes an agriculture powerhouse in this part of the world by making significant investments in all the related sub-sectors to benefit farmers. This is according to Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, during his contribution on Wednesday to the Budget Debate at the 20th Sitting of the 12th Parliament. “Mr. Speaker, all agriculture distribution programmes to rural and hinterland communities were halted by the previous government; this significantly affected agricultural development in this country. Since taking office in 2020, we have not only re-started these programmes, but we have also revamped them and introduced new ones to ensure that everyone benefits,” he told the House.

He explained that government wants to see an agriculture sector that encourages investment and where agricultural producers operate profitable businesses since the aim is to have an agriculture sector that is market-driven, with a clear focus on the transformation of raw materials to healthy processed products.
Noting that an agriculture sector that consistently contributes to national food security and nutrition is needed, Minister Zulfikar said the agriculture sector will also be built to withstand vulnerabilities, shocks, and stress, with emphasis on adaptation to climate change.
He noted that the agriculture sector will also enhance rural communities through employment and livelihood generation.

DRASTIC CHANGE
Following numerous outreaches and interactions with farming communities, he said: “I have recognised that the last government failed our farmers when it came to extension services; farmers were not accessing the service, they were not satisfied with the service and this meant they could not increase production or productivity. Our farmers are in dire need for the delivery of crucial extension services; therefore, 2021 will see a drastic change in the provision of extension support services.”
Further, he noted that total non-traditional crop exports declined by 10 per cent, from 11,000MT in 2015 to 9,907MT in 2020.
More specifically, he explained the agro-processing sector took a severe hit as not only did production decline but exports also significantly declined by 45 per cent from 2015 to 2020. However, he said as a result of the many efforts made by the current Government in 2020, the industry recorded a nine per cent increase in non-traditional exports in 2020 over 2019. Additionally, he said the measures implemented in budget 2020 started to focus on reducing the cost of production for livestock farmers, improving the quality of the livestock products, and reducing domestic market prices to meet the needs of the most vulnerable.

PROMISE DELIVERED
The Agriculture Minister said the removal of VAT on key inputs in the poultry industry and zero-rating the poultry industry were done as promised and has benefited an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 small farmers and broiler producers. Budget 2021, he said, allocates $806M to the Guyana Livestock Development Authority, an increase of $46 million. “With the intervention of Budget 2021, we will create an environment for our local producers to benefit from the increasing demand for meat coming from the thriving oil and gas companies, as well as other local businesses. Meat import in 2019 was G$20M even though Guyana is self-sufficient in meat,” he emphasised. In aquaculture, he said $293 million is budgeted to support the growth of the aquaculture industry since the industry employs over 15, 000 persons and contributes to Guyana’s export earnings. More importantly, he said as a major source of animal protein in Guyana, fish and fish products contribute to food and nutrition security in Guyana.

STATE-OF-THE-ART SOIL LABORATORY
In the rice sector, he said farmers will benefit from the construction of a state-of-the-art Soil Laboratory at Burma, an investment of $40M that will enable access to soil testing at affordable cost and in a timely manner. “This government has been working to ensure that the rice industry remains an economic pillar in the agriculture sector while providing Guyanese with the important staple in their diet. In the short time that this government has been in office, we have been able to achieve that; imagine the possibilities for the next four years! The rice industry will prosper,” he said. For the sugar industry, he said government has injected $7B in 2020 towards commencing the process of rehabilitating the fields, cane transport route and the factories.

As such, Minister Mustapha said that by 2025, the plan is to have a minimum of 61 per cent of sales coming from the value-added packaged sugar line.
“To realise this potential, significant investments have been planned to expand the Blairmont packaging plant, quadrupling its current capacity. Moreover, we will be re-tooling the Enmore Packaging Plant, to support the paradigm shift to packaged sugar. As a result of these strategic actions, the sugar industry will be less dependent on the treasury,” he added. The National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), he said, was allocated $1.24 billion in Budget 2021 ($33 million increase from 2020) to further diversify production base and ensure Guyana’s food security, especially since 2021 has been declared by the UN as the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables.