President Dr Irfaan Ali has announced that some 25,000 acres of land will be opened up for farmers to grow rice in support of the poultry industry.
This was revealed during a symposium with poultry farmers on Friday where the Head of State spoke about some of the government’s plans for the sector.
“We’re willing to examine the opening up of 25,000 acres of land and have farmers participate [in] the growing of rice as an input. So, you have another cross center and possible revenue center for farmers in the poultry industry,” Ali noted.
The Head of State further noted that from 2020 to date, the cost of rice as an input to feed poultry has increased by 100 per cent while the cost of soya has increased by 65 per cent and the cost of corn has increased by 55 per cent.
“By 2025 or 2026 I think we would be self-sufficient with corn and soya, once what we’re seeing as the results continue, we will be self-sufficient and, in a position, to supply the region,” President Ali noted.
He also noted that the storage capacity also needs to be expanded in order to accommodate increased production. President Ali announced too that Suriname is committing to CARICOM, 75,000 acres of land for the production of grains and he believed Guyana can join in on that and supply the region.
“Let’s form ourselves into a consortium and go after the 75,000 acres of land also for the production of grains. But in this case, we’ll be producing that grain for the regional market.”
According to statistics by Report Linker, Guyana’s poultry meat production is projected to reach 47,000 metric tons by 2026, up from 42,000 metric tons in 2021. This translates to an average year-on-year growth rate of 1.8 per cent.
Earlier this year, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo declared that Guyana’s poultry industry has blossomed into a multimillion-dollar sector. Asserting that there is no scarcity of chicken, the vice president also highlighted that Guyana produces an impressive 140 million pounds of poultry annually.
He emphasised that the thriving poultry industry currently sustains around 18,000 individuals who derive their livelihoods from its robust production. Moreover, he revealed that Guyana has one of the world’s highest chicken consumption rates, surpassing even the United States.
“Guyanese consume 140 pounds of chicken annually. That is one of the highest consumption rates in the world. We eat a substantial amount of chicken in this country. So, I was astonished when I discovered that we consume nearly double the per capita chicken consumption in the US. This applies to men, women, and children,” the VP emphasised.
