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A section of the corn and soya field in Tacama, Berbice in Guyana. (Department of Public Information Guyana)
GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – The Guyana government says the country is on track to achieve self-sufficiency in its livestock feed production by 2025.
“For the first time, we are producing corn and soya in our country. And next year, we will be self-sufficient in producing all the livestock feed in our country,” Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, said as he spoke at the commissioning of a soil chemical services laboratory at the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI).
Mustapha said annually, Guyana imports an estimated US$40 million in livestock feed and that this money could be invested in other sectors to further increase the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
He said self-sufficiency will be achieved by cultivating corn and soya beans successfully. Corn and soya are grown at Tacama, Berbice and over 10,000 acres is already being cultivated.
Corn and soya offer significant nutritional benefits. For example, soya beans produce “oilseed meal” commonly known as plant-derived protein supplement, is used in animal feed to increase digestion and improve growth.
Corn silage, a high-energy and low-protein feed, is used to supplement the diet of growing dairy heifers and lactating cows.
The government has allocated GUY$967.8 million (One Guyana dollar=US$0.004 cents) in this year’s national budget for the production of corn and soya beans.
The authorities hope that by the end of 2025, a total of 30,000 acres will be dedicated to the cultivation of corn and soya.
Earlier this week, the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) reported that the country’s rice yield went from 5.9 tonnes per hectare to 6.75 tonnes per hectare.
