–four nurseries established in Regions Three, Six

FOR the period January to November 2021, Guyana earned $2.5 billion from the exportation of coconuts and its byproducts, according to figures provided by the Ministry of Agriculture, on Tuesday.

Data show that the exportation of dry coconuts alone raked in $1.8 billion, while $685 million was earned from the exportation of virgin coconut oil. Those earnings represent significant increases when compared to the previous year, which saw the industry exporting just about $1.9 billion in coconut and coconut by-products.

Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, had previously said that the growth of the coconut industry is not a mere coincidence, but rather the results of a number of strategic investments.
For instance, the Agriculture Ministry recently established four additional coconut nurseries, three in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) at Wakenaam, Leguan, Canal No. Two Polder, and a fourth at Benab in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne). This, according to the ministry, has resulted in a boost to Hope Estate’s seedling production capacity to 48,000 nuts per annum.

Coconut seedling production for the year 2021 was 33,613, which represented a significant improvement when compared to the year 2020, which saw a production of only 4,905 seedlings.

Added to that, the Ministry of Agriculture also spearheaded a fruitful collaboration which saw 115 new coconut farmers joining the industry. That brought with it, the cultivation of new coconut farms measuring some 1,845 acres.

Further, the ministry also followed through on its promise to establish more farmers’ groups across the country. It was related that, to date, at least 50 new farmers’ groups have been formed in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Region Six, and Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

“Groups have been found to be more effective in addressing farmers’ issues and distribution of inputs,” the Agriculture Ministry said.

Those accomplishments were merely components of a comprehensive programme to ensure that Guyana advances as a top coconut producer. As part of the 2021 national budget, $70 million was set aside to ensure that coconut production reaches its true potential, especially as demand continues to grow.

A few months ago, during an address to a forum organised by the International Coconut Community (ICC), Minister Mustapha said that, notwithstanding the challenges, Guyana’s coconut industry remains a major income earner and a stimulant for the development of some 1,800 farmers, who cultivate in excess of 24,000 acres of coconuts.

“Guyana produces an average of 92 million nuts per annum and has managed, in the year 2017, to generate US$7 million from exports. This important sector, I must emphasise strongly, has tremendous potential for both improvement and expansion,” the Agriculture Minister told the ICC.

With a number of developmental plans already activated, Minister Mustapha had recommitted the government’s intention to ensure that Guyana regains its status as a major coconut producer, capable of satisfying the lucrative Caribbean and South American markets.

REVITALISING COCONUT FARMS
In addition to the farmers who joined the coconut industry in 2021, the Ministry of Agriculture was also able to execute several interventions geared at revitalising a number of coconut farms that were neglected and left in disarray.

The ministry, via the National Agriculture Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), is also pursuing the establishment of a full-fledged Coconut Development Unit, which would focus primarily on research and development; capacity building and participatory planning and implementation; integrated insect pest and disease management; quality, quantity and productivity improvement; post-harvest processing, product diversification and value addition, among other things.

The unit, once fully established, would be responsible for the development and adoption of technologies that would ensure the proper management of insects, pests and disease-affected coconut farms, as well as processing and product diversification. Emphasis would also be placed on market research and promotion of the product.

It would appear as though the local business community has also recognised the potential gains of the coconut industry, because investments that support the growth of the industry are already being made. It was only in May that a local coconut production company, Pomeroon Trading Incorporated, unveiled its plan to construct a US$8 million processing facility here.

It was previously reported that the company already cultivates close to 35,000 seed nuts on about 400 acres of land, and, according to the company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Duncan Turnbull, the ultimate goal is to acquire more lands to expand the company’s operations.

The processing facility is expected to support coconut production and ensure that the company is also able to benefit from the lucrative by-product markets as well.

“Once we have this facility set up, we would not only take produce from our farms, but from other farmers in the region. So far, we’ve invested approximately US$3 million since we started,” Turnbull had said.
He further related that the company has also begun to engage additional investors to buy into the project.

“We’re working very closely with the United States Government and USAID,” Turnbull said.
Pomeroon Trading was also exploring the possibility of a joint venture with Trinidad and Tobago, to export coconut water. In the immediate term, the company’s aim is to become U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) certified, to be able to export their products to the United States.

Meanwhile, at the level of the government, a major focus is to continue working with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to reduce the overall agricultural imports within the region.
“We are working aggressively to tap into the CARICOM market, which is a very large and lucrative market,” Minister Mustapha said previously.

Even with rising oil revenues, the government has outlined its intention to work intently towards improving agriculture across the board. Outside of rice and sugar, coconut often serves as the agriculture sector’s third largest revenue stream.