-Agriculture Minister says, as gov’t pushes more youth, women-led programmes

THE government has earmarked a record $104.6 billion for the agricultural sector in its latest national budget, with a clear focus on building confidence among farmers and industry stakeholders.

Examining this massive allocation, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha on Sunday said the funding reflects a commitment to transforming the sector through innovative programmes, particularly aimed at engaging more youths and women.

“We will continue to ensure that we use this sum effectively to enhance the lives of the fisher folks,[sic] the farmers, the stakeholders in the agriculture sector.

“As a government, we cannot only expand or increase budgetary allocation and expect that we will have enough production. First of all, you have to build the confidence of the farmers. You have to work with them as you have been doing very, very aggressively and regularly,” Minister Mustapha said in a broadcast interview.

He added: “I’ve been having regular outreaches across the country. I’ve been meeting with various groups across the country. We have been working in partnership. And as you mentioned, there are programmes for various sectors.”

Though the agriculture ministry has been focused on building out key infrastructure to enhance the country’s food production, simultaneously, investments have been made in several social programmes to support stakeholders and this is reflected in this year’s budget.

“We try as much as possible to be innovative, to capture the imagination of young people in this country. There’s a perception out there that agriculture is a menial job, is a job that you have to do more physical work. Now we are changing that scenario. We are making agriculture more enjoyable for young people; they can do it. We are making agriculture less labour intensive and more modern.”

Minister Mustapha pointed to several initiatives such as the cut-rose project which targets single parents, specifically women. There is also an aggressive poultry programme which directly provides an income for women.
Meanwhile ,for youths, the agricultural and innovation entrepreneurship programme targets graduates of the University of Guyana and the Guyana School of Agriculture.

This particular programme has already seen the country constructing over 600 shade houses across the country, producing an array of high-value crops targeting both local and regional markets.

“Hundreds of young people, graduates who were doing clerical work, pushing paper and pen behind a desk. They are now involved in agriculture. They are now practising what they would have learned in the classroom, sharing their skills out there to enhance the sector,” Minister Mustapha boasted.

ECONOMIC BOOST

Minister Mustapha also pointed out that though Guyana is now an oil and gas producing country, the non-oil sectors such as agriculture remain top contributors to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

In 2024, the sector contributed 11 per cent of the country’s growth. The minister credited this to the increased production in sub-sectors such as rice, fisheries and aquaculture, and new and emerging crops such as corn and soya bean.

“We have seen last year [that] our country performed extremely well, where we saw 43 per cent 43.6 per cent to be accurate, growth in the country’s GDP. And if you look at that, we were the fastest -growing economy in the world. And that tells us something, that tells us that we have prudent management…I am very elated as a minister of agriculture, because the 13.1 per cent that contributed to the 43.6 per cent growth to the country’s GDP, agriculture would have 11 per cent of that growth.”

Further, agriculture in general,and the fishing and forestry sub-sectors are projected to grow by 11.4 per cent this year.

In his presentation of the fiscal package to the National Assembly on Friday last, Senior Minister within the office of the President with responsibility for Finance and the Public Service, Dr. Ashni Singh pointed out that with increased production targeted for all subsectors will contribute to the increase.

Overall, the country’s real GDP is projected at 10.6 per cent for 2025, with growth in the non-oil economy projected at 13.8 per cent.

AGRICULTURE’S BUDGET AT A GLANCE

Here is what to expect for the agricultural sector’s budgetary, allocation which reflects a continuation of aggressive investments.

DRAINAGE AND IRRIGATION: $73.2 billion has been set aside for the upgrade and expansion of the national drainage and irrigation (D&I) network in 2025. Of that sum, over $15 billion has been budgeted to complete works on Hope-like canal structures in Region Six, advance works in Region Five and commence works in Region Three. The allocation will also target the completion of pump stations and advance other critical D&l canals and structures, including areas such as Adams Creek, Canefield, Good Hope and Mabaruma.

LIVESTOCK: $1.7 billion has been set aside to expand the production and productivity of the livestock sub-sector. This will support the completion a modular pig-slaughtering and processing facility at Garden of Eden, and modular duck-processing facilities in Regions Two and Six, acquisition of incubators for hatching eggs, and establishment of poultry zones for improved biosecurity and economies of scale and construction of a feed pelletiser storage building.

FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE: $1.3 billion has been budgeted to support fisheries and aquaculture development; construct 80 additional brackish-water shrimp ponds in Region Six; acquire 100 vessel-monitoring devices to complement the surveillance of fishing activities and upgrade additional landing sites in Regions One to Six.

SUGAR: $13.3 billion will be made available to continue to support and rehabilitate the sugar industry.

RICE: $430.9 million is included in Budget 2025 to improve efficiency and productivity in the rice industry.

OTHER CROPS: $2.9 billion has been set aside to support the development and expansion of other crops.

COCONUTS: $116 million has been budgeted to support the expansion of production, introduce improved varieties, promote value-added production, and train farmers.

AGRO-PROCESSING: $800 million has been set aside to support investments in value-chain development, from farming to market expansion for agricultural produce and products, including the construction of an additional processing facility, bringing the total processing facilities operationalised by government to 16 across the country; establishment of an agri-business hub at Bartica and training of an additional 1,242 farmers and agro-processors.