Commonwealth _ The ongoing $100 million prawn production project at Onverwagt, Region Five, shows significant progress as the government focuses on expanding the aquaculture industry. Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha inspected the site and confirmed the construction of 10 ponds. He expressed optimism about replicating the project nationwide, citing ongoing similar initiatives in various areas, and emphasized the available markets for prawns locally, regionally, and globally. Highlighting the high demand for prawns in the Caribbean and North America, Minister Mustapha pointed to countries like Ecuador and Vietnam exporting substantial quantities of this product. The agriculture minister emphasized that the initiative could mirror the approach taken with the corn and soya bean project, wherein the government allocates thousands of acres for expanded cultivation. These initiatives showcase the government’s dedication to elevating the agriculture sector while concurrently reducing reliance on imported food to achieve the 25 by 2025 objective.
This aligns with President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali’s vision of Guyana achieving self-sufficiency across all aspects of food production, aiming to become a significant food supplier for regional and global markets. To further this goal, Minister Mustapha revealed active collaboration between Guyana and Barbados on the prawn production project. Local technical officers have already engaged in discussions on the matter during their visits to the island. In the region along the Corentyne Coast, a strong and enduring commitment exists toward cultivating brackish water shrimp locally, marking a continuous and fruitful endeavor. This initiative has yielded commendable results ever since its inception, marking consistent success in shrimp farming efforts. Presently, there’s a pivotal phase underway that focuses on enhancing and expanding the infrastructure of the existing shrimp farms. The primary goal within this phase is to fortify the infrastructure, aiming to amplify and optimize shrimp production.
Commencing with an initial production output of 10,000 kilograms, the project has set its sights on a substantial and ambitious target of reaching approximately 150,000 kilograms once all the developmental phases reach completion. This escalation signifies a significant leap in production capacity, emphasizing the robustness and potential growth of the shrimp farming industry in the area. Minister Mustapha has been an advocate for this development, consistently highlighting the remarkable progress observed during the ongoing development phase. Moreover, there’s been a noticeable surge of interest among farmers from diverse regions across the country, showcasing a burgeoning enthusiasm to replicate similar shrimp farming initiatives elsewhere. Looking forward, the strategic roadmap envisions an ambitious future for the industry. Within the forthcoming year, plans are underway to establish a specialized hatchery dedicated to independently producing shrimp larvae. Concurrently, efforts are in motion to set up a specialized feed mill and complementary infrastructure. These future initiatives aim to create an integrated and self-sustaining ecosystem, propelling the shrimp farming industry toward increased efficiency, heightened production capabilities, and a strengthened supply chain from hatchery to feed production, marking a significant stride in the local aquaculture sector. Minister Mustapha has been vocal about the substantial progress witnessed during the developmental phase. He has also noted a growing interest among farmers in various regions across the country in this particular project. This burgeoning interest signals a potential expansion of similar shrimp production initiatives elsewhere. Looking ahead, the minister outlined ambitious plans for the future. Within the next year, there are intentions to establish a dedicated hatchery to independently produce shrimp larvae. Simultaneously, there are plans underway to set up a specialized feed mill and related infrastructure. These developments aim to create a self-sufficient ecosystem conducive to scaling up shrimp production, ensuring a robust supply chain from hatchery to feed production, ultimately driving increased output and efficiency within the industry.
