– Agriculture Minister anticipates 1.2M kg target by year end

THE Ministry of Agriculture has recorded a successful trial in brackish water shrimp production along the Corentyne coast, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

So far, the month of June has seen 70,000 kilogrammes of shrimp produced, according to information shared via President, Dr Irfaan Ali’s Facebook page.

The President, on Tuesday evening, said this has been the highest production recorded in a single month since government’s interventions.

“In June, production of brackish water shrimp reached 70,000 kg, the highest in a single month. This is as a result of the direct interventions made by the government to ensure food security in the Caribbean,” the President posted.

Meanwhile Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, in an exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle on Wednesday, said that the project has already contributed significantly to the livelihoods of several shrimp farmers in East Berbice-Corentyne, which was the chief intention of the government when the initiative was introduced in 2021.

“When we started the project, the idea was to help the rural farmers. They were producing roughly around 9000 – 10,000 kg per month.

“Both the President and the Vice President charged us to go and help develop this industry. We targeted… 75 farmers and our aim was to move it from 10,000 kg to 20,000 kg – 30,000 kg monthly,” the minister said.

Mustapha said the project is halfway complete, but has surpassed the initial target of producing 20,000-30,000 kilogrammes of brackish water shrimp monthly.

“What I am seeing now is a huge success. We are halfway through the project, just about 50- 75 per cent complete. Last month, we have seen an increase from where we started [at] 10,000 kg to 70,000 kg,” the minister said, noting this represents a seven-fold increase.

Mustapha anticipates with more interventions and expansions of the trial in Region Six, the country will be able to produce roughly 1.2 million kilogrammes of brackish water shrimp by the end of 2022.

The Agriculture Minister pointed out that farmers and fisherfolk in other parts of the country have signalled interest in the project, however, the ministry will not rush to start any new trials.

“We are seeing now an influx of a number of persons in this sector and interest has been whipped up across the country.

“Not only in Region Six where we started the project, but people on the Essequibo Coast, people in Region Five, [and] people on the East Coast of Demerara said that they want the produce,” Mustapha explained.

The senior government official further explained that before the ministry moves to expand the project to other parts of the country, additional enhancements to the pilot project will be made.

In an effort to boost productivity, the Government of Guyana and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has partnered over the last two years to conduct a study and gather information for the piloting and implementation of a strategy to enhance shrimp production in Guyana and several other Caribbean states.

At a workshop held at the St Francis Community Centre, Port Mourant, Berbice, last month, Denis David, a fisheries officer attached to the ministry, told shrimp farmers that the proposed strategy will see the establishment of several action plans geared toward the enhanced production and quality of brackish water shrimp in Guyana.

The strategy is divided into four parts focusing on the promotion of an intensive model of farming, the expansion of the industry through multi-species diversification, the fostering of partnerships to strengthen trade and marketing, and the strengthening of a support and enabling environment for the best value chain.

Meanwhile, through the updated Inland and Aquaculture Strategy (2021-2026), plans are being made to address the challenges faced in aquaculture and create an enabling and sustainable environment for investment for the development of the area.