Preparations are underway for the cultivation of 250 acres of millet at the Tacama Savannah in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) – where over 160,000 tonnes of corn and soya bean were recently harvested.
“This crop coming, Tacama Gold, that we partnered with to do corn and soya, they will start the millet there and they will start about 250 acres of millet production over there,” Zulfikar Mustapha told reporters on the sidelines of an event on Monday.
Some 18,000 acres were initially cultivated by a consortium of companies, including Bounty Farms Limited, Guyana Stockfeed Limited, Edun Farms, Royal Chicken, SBM Wood, Dubulay Ranch, and the Brazilian-owned N F Agriculture.
According to the Minister, this same consortium will embark on millet production, in addition to replanting corn and soya.
“The commitment that President Ali would have made to Prime Minister Modi, we’ll start that very shortly…with this new crop, with corn and soya, millet and other things…,” he added.
“They’re now preparing back the land to start it and that should happen within a month from now.”
Assistant Managing Director of Bounty Farm, David Fernandes had recently told this publication of the consortium’s intention to branch out to producing millets.
“We have everything on track to plant this November, but the only thing we don’t have control over, is the rain. And that would be the only consideration for us not to plant a crop of corn or soya bean. But nevertheless, we would still plant a cover crop of millet or something like that on the entire land, to make sure it’s covered for the rains that will come in December,” Fernandes had explained.
“Just to make sure we don’t have no erosions of the soils going into 2024. That would be the worst-case scenario, but that depends on if this El Nino continues. But if we see evidence that we’ll get some rain, we can take the risk to plant. But we have to be very careful about that.”
India has been a global leader in the production of millets. Guyana and India had committed to collaborate on millet production. The South Asian state is expected to provide technical support and guidance during production.
Millets are a highly varied group of small seeds and cereal crops. They are a powerhouse of nutrients, rich in proteins, vitamins, minerals, and fibres.
Based on the required environmental conditions for millet germination, Guyana is considered an ideal zone for the growth and development of the seed.
Importantly, millet production would open up additional avenues for economic advancement, providing a new market for export.
Wheat trials
Meanwhile, Guyana has also been experimenting with wheat production and could very soon start producing this crop on a largescale. Earlier this year, Mustapha had reported that the results from the wheat trials so far are promising.
“We did two or three indoor trials and it was very good, we are looking for some areas to do the outdoor trial. We started a part in Paramakatoi in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and I had a report from our chief scientist, Dr Mahendra Persaud, who told me that the growth was very good. The results look very promising…it was a small trial so we have to continue to do the trial and ensure that it works. But the trial that we did so far was very promising,” Mustapha had said in April.
Guyana received 49 lines of wheat from the Government of Mexico to start a trial phase. The initial indoor trial, which explored several varieties, was completed at the Burma Rice Station in Mahaicony, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice). The aim of this wheat trial is to ensure Guyana becomes self-sufficient by reducing its import of wheat.
Corn and soya
Corn and soya bean are also relatively new crops for Guyana, with cultivation having started only in 2021.
President Dr Irfaan Ali has already announced that in another three years, the industry will see over US$40 million in investments that will help catapult the country into self-sufficiency and aid in realising the Region’s objective of reducing its food import bill by 25% by 2025.
The Government has played a crucial role in supporting the growth of the corn and soya bean industry, with a commitment of over $1.2 billion to infrastructural development in the Tacama area, Berbice River.
Last year, the Government improved access to the area by constructing 40 kilometres of road, with the remaining seven kilometres scheduled to be completed this year. Additionally, the Government invested in a drying and storage facility for corn and soya bean, the first such facility in the country.
It was reported that plans are also afoot to start cultivating corn and soya bean in Moco Moco Village, North Rupununi. The Ministry of Agriculture is also assessing the capacity in other regions, with the aim of taking the project there in the future.
Guyana has aspirations of the country being a net exporter of corn and soya by 2025. In the feed industry, Guyana imports close to US$30 million in products annually. (G11)
