-President Ali
GUYANA is poised to commence large-scale production of red and black eye beans in order to fulfil its domestic food requirements and cater to the regional market through exports.

During an address at the Private Sector Commission’s (PSC)’s 31st Anniversary Gala Dinner & Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali revealed that not only will Guyana be able to reduce its importation of the legumes, but the country will be able to supply the regional Caribbean market.

“By the end of next year, we will be in a position where our red beans and black eye that is [sic] being imported now will be fully produced here in Guyana and we will be in a position to export to the regional market,” he said, adding: “These are not investments by accident, these are investments that are carefully crafted.”

Guyana is currently the lead stakeholder for agriculture in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
President Ali is the lead Head of Government with responsibility for Agriculture and Agricultural Development, while the country’s agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha chairs the Ministerial Taskforce on Food Production and Food Security.

In August, the Head of State led a technical team to several communities along the Berbice River where assessments were done for the large-scale production of red beans and black-eye beans.

At that time, communities such as Tacama, Kimbia, Mara and Moleson Creek were visited as the aim was to bring at least 1,000 acres into cultivation before the end of 2023.
In a previous interview, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha said the initiative is part of the government’s vision to position Guyana as a hub for food production.

“We can produce all the needs for the Caribbean [and so] we are looking to start some cultivation. First of all, we’ll look at the areas in Region One. We are looking to build facilities in Region One as long as the soil type is good there and hopefully, we can start large-scale production of black-eye peas, coming out of Region One,” Minister Mustapha said.

He added that Guyanese investors have already signalled an interest in making investments in this large-scale production.
Meanwhile, during a recent visit to the community of Baracara in Region Six, the president had announced plans to assist farmers there in cultivating 400 acres of red beans and black-eye beans.

“We are going to put the tractor and plough to work, but I am not going to accept anything below 400 acres of land in red beans. So, we’re going to put the land to work, we’re going to put the machinery, we are going to put the labour,” he told farmers there.