‘Farmers must reap greater rewards from their crop’ – Minister Mustapha

(Kaieteur News) – Farmers must be allowed to reap the benefits of their crops, Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha said on Wednesday, as he called for greater rewards for those who produce the nation’s food.

Speaking at the opening ceremony for Agriculture Month 2026, Minister Mustapha said large quantities of food are being produced, but farmers, who work from early mornings to late nights, are not always receiving adequate returns for their efforts.

“But sometimes they are not getting the kind of reward that they have to get, and the people who don’t do anything are reaping the reward. We must now allow the farmers to get their benefit, get their reward. As we launch Agriculture Month 2026, let us reaffirm our commitment to building an agriculture sector that is innovative, resilient, competitive, and inclusive,” he said.

Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha

Mustapha said agriculture remains critical to feeding the nation, creating prosperity for producers, strengthening communities and reinforcing Guyana’s role in regional food and nutrition security.

“Our farmers are innovating by embracing science, technology, research, mechanisation, digital agriculture, and climate smart production. Six years ago, when we started out here as a team, I think the sector was in rapid decline. Guyana was the least country in the Caribbean in terms of agricultural development,” he said.

Reflecting on the sector’s development, the agriculture minister said Guyana had fallen behind in agriculture by 2020 despite traditionally playing a leading role in CARICOM on agricultural issues.

He credited President Irfaan Ali with helping to reposition Guyana’s agriculture sector, pointing to a 2021 CARICOM Heads of Government meeting in Belize, where, he said, Guyana renewed its commitment to leading efforts to improve food security across the Caribbean.

Mustapha said the renewed focus has extended beyond Guyana, with CARICOM leaders committing to work together to reduce the region’s food import bill by 25 per cent by 2030.

He also pointed to the increased use of technology in agriculture, including drones for monitoring and irrigation, as well as the Farmers App, which allows farmers across the country to communicate with the Ministry of Agriculture, raise concerns and receive answers to their questions.

“That is the innovation I am talking about. That is the way we are moving agriculture to ensure that we capture everyone, bring everyone into focus so that we can produce together. We nourish as we ensure safe, affordable, nutritious, and reliable supply of food while strengthening Guyana’s food security and advancing our leadership in regional food security,” he said.

Mustapha said Guyana has also made progress in reducing hunger and malnutrition.

“According to the FAO, Guyana is one of the only four countries in Latin America and the Caribbean region which has a hunger and the nourishment prevalence below 2.5%. That’s a tremendous achievement for us as a country,” he said.

He said the growth of the agriculture sector is creating more opportunities and jobs, increasing productivity, empowering women, attracting more young people into agriculture and strengthening rural communities.

The minister also highlighted the Development Bank as one of the government’s major initiatives for the sector, saying it will expand access to capital for food producers and agro-processors.

He said the initiative could be a game-changer for agriculture by providing producers with greater access to the financing needed to expand their operations.

Source: Kaieteur News