Government pursuing increased agri production for domestic, regional consumers – Mustapha

– expands corn, soya, poultry production; aims to end onion imports

As the Government pursues increased agricultural production for domestic consumption and regional exports, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha has said that production has increased in almost every subsector since 2020 and he wants to double agricultural production while developing Guyana’s capacity to supply regional markets.

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“We want to double it because we are not only producing for local consumption, we want to be a food producer, we want to be an exporter, net exporter to the region,” he said. Speaking following an agricultural outreach at Albion, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) over the weekend, Mustapha also outlined that Guyana is aiming to end onion imports by the first quarter of 2027, alongside plans to expand corn, soya and poultry production. “I am hoping by the first quarter of next year we will stop importing all the onions that we used to import in our country. I am hoping that also the corn and soya production will increase, we will not import any,” he said. While discussing corn and soya, the Minister noted that exports to Barbados had already started. Turning to poultry, Mustapha said production reached 91,000 metric tonnes in 2025, up from an earlier level of 41,000 metric tonnes. He expressed optimism that interventions involving modern tunnel-ventilated poultry pens would drive further growth, potentially taking output beyond 100,000 metric tonnes by the end of 2026.