February 2, 2025

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House approves $63.7B to support agriculture sector

Guyana to advance Black Belly Sheep project

The Parliamentary Committee of Supply has approved $63.7 billion to support the agriculture sector this year.

This is just a portion of the $104.6 billion that is set aside to advance the nation’s food sector. The remaining funds will be approved following the passage of the overall 2025 fiscal package.

Of the $63.7 billion already passed, $13.3 billion has been allocated to support the sugar industry as the government continues efforts to revitalise the sector.

While defending the sector’s budget in the National Assembly on Friday, Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha highlighted the government’s aggressive efforts to reduce sugar production costs.

The government has set a target of 101,000 tonnes of sugar for the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) this year.

To achieve this, 40 per cent of cultivation lands have already been mechanised as part of efforts to increase production.

“As long as we produce more sugar, the cost of production will decrease. GuySuCo is looking to bring it down to US51 cents. But we also have to look at the impact of GuySuCo on the economy,” he explained.

Several sugar estates, including Rose Hall, Albion, and Uitvlugt have undergone significant rehabilitation to maximise production.

“The industry was in a state where we had to spend a lot of funds to bring it back to where it is now. We are working to ensure that we have maximum capacities at the estates,” the agriculture minister stated.

Providing an update on the Black Belly Sheep project, Minister Mustapha stated that Guyana has already received 1,000 from Barbados.

“Since then, we have reproduced almost 800 of those sheep at the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA). We are building that brand that the president spoke about. That brand is being built for CARICOM right here in Guyana. That is the vision we have as a government,” Minister Mustapha emphasised.

Already, 163 persons, most from Region Five, are directly involved in the initiative.

The minister noted the government completed eight pump stations over the past year and is currently constructing seven more.

He also provided updates on several pump stations, noting progress at Jimbo Grove, Charity, Belle Vue, Cottage and Black Bush Polder.

The Jimbo Grove and Black Bush Polder pump stations are 37 per cent completed, while the ones at Cottage and Belle Vue are 80 and 10 per cent completed respectively.

The government remains committed to building a robust, climate-smart agriculture sector that enhances livelihoods and ensures food security.

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