WITH agriculture being one of Guyana’s most important and productive sectors, in excess of $22 billion has been allocated for the Ministry of Agriculture in the 2022 national budget.
This was revealed by subject Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, following the presentation of the national budget on Wednesday evening by Senior Minister in the office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.
Minister Mustapha, during an invited comment to the Guyana Chronicle, dubbed the 2022 budget as ‘one of the best’ budgets the country has produced.
“The total of the budget for agriculture is approximately $22 billion… it’s one of the best budgets I’ve ever heard, the budget will continue the projects that are in our manifesto, and it will see the economic transformation of Guyana.”
“It is people-centred and it is focused on the continued transformation of our country,” Minister Mustapha reiterated.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Singh, during his presentation of the budget, said that Guyana is uniquely poised to take advantage of production and trade opportunities in food products across the Caribbean region.
The minister stated that Guyana is committed to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Twenty-Five by 25 initiative which aims to cut the extra-regional food import bill by 2025.
He added that the Government of Guyana is focused on ramping up domestic production as well as agro-processing capabilities and is working with the region to remove all historic barriers and impediments to intra-regional trade and promoting more widely agri-business and complete transformation of regional food systems. On the domestic front, focus will be placed on both traditional crops as well as new and emerging ones.
These commitments, he said, are “golden [opportunities] for Guyana to finally realise its potential as the breadbasket of the Caribbean.”
The 2022 budget, the minister said, will see the government’s commitment to several sub-sectors of agriculture such as the sugar and rice industries, livestock development, fisheries and aquaculture, non-traditional crops, agro-processing and the coconut industry.
In addition, bearing in mind the effects of the 2021 floods and evolution of climate change to a climate crisis which the Minister highlighted was abundantly evidenced by the erratic and extreme climate patterns and weather Guyana has been experiencing; major investments are slated for the further advancement of Guyana’s drainage and irrigation sector.
“Now more than ever before, effective drainage and irrigation infrastructure design, construction and maintenance, are required to prevent perilous consequences… our government will continue to strengthen the drainage and irrigation network across all regions,” Minister Singh said.
Budget highlights for the Agriculture Sector
* $13 Billion will be allocated to further upgrade drainage and irrigation
* $6 Billion to support the Guyana Sugar Corporation
* $887 million to further advance corn and soya bean production
* $66 million to further expand the coconut industry
* $100 million will be allocated to advance the recently launched agriculture and innovation entrepreneurship programme
* $96.5 million to enhance agro-processing and packaging facilities
* $977.3 million will be allocated for livestock development
* $743.7 will be allocated to support the fisheries and aquaculture sectors
