Guyana is stepping up efforts to increase agricultural production, with the Ministry of Agriculture working alongside the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC) and farmers’ organisations to identify additional land for cultivation and other agricultural activities.
Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha announced the initiative on Monday while delivering closing remarks at the ministry’s Farmers’ Conference 2026, held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre in Liliendaal. He outlined a series of measures aimed at strengthening the sector, improving productivity and creating new opportunities for farmers across the country.
Among the initiatives is the planned importation of 1,000 pregnant heifers from Brazil to boost livestock production. The government also intends to expand the use of artificial insemination and embryo transplantation to improve breeding programmes and strengthen the country’s livestock industry.
Mustapha encouraged farmers involved in swine production to work closely with the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), emphasising the importance of collaboration and technical support in improving output and developing the sector.
The ministry will also continue distributing planting materials and seedlings free of charge to farmers as part of its broader support programme. Further attention will be given to aquaculture, shade-house cultivation and youth entrepreneurship, with the aim of diversifying agricultural production and encouraging greater participation in the industry.
In addition to outlining these initiatives, the minister announced plans to make the Farmers’ Conference an annual event. The move is intended to establish a regular platform for farmers to raise concerns, share experiences and contribute directly to the development of agricultural policies and programmes.
“The future of agriculture in Guyana cannot only be built by the government. It has to be built by all stakeholders, the entire population who are farmers,” Mustapha stated.
The government’s latest measures reflect its wider ambition to strengthen Guyana’s agricultural sector by expanding access to land, improving livestock breeding, supporting farmers and introducing modern production techniques. Closer cooperation between government agencies, farmers’ organisations and producers is expected to play an important role in increasing output and advancing the country’s long-term agricultural development goals.