Brackish water shrimp production advancing in Region Six
According to Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, Guyana earned an estimated GUY$274 million from the black water shrimp sector in the first quarter of this year.
According to Mustapha, black water shrimp output has increased dramatically since 2022.
“In the first quarter of this year, our farmers were able to produce 182.89 metric tons (182,890 kilograms) of black water shrimp, earning over $274 million.” When we look at the production data for the first quarter of 2022, we find an almost 50% rise,” he remarked.
“This is consistent with our industry goals and demonstrates the government’s commitment to increasing local production, lowering food import bills, and increasing both our production and export capacities.” “By 2025, we hope to be producing 1.5 million kilograms per year,” Mustapha added.
He stated that due to the program’s effectiveness, the government now wants it reproduced in other places.
“So far, we’ve helped farmers build ponds in Region Six, and we’ve begun preliminary work in Region Five.” We’re also looking into other areas, such as Region Two. “We were able to increase production by 203% in the first few months of the project, and those levels have continued to rise over the years,” the minister said.
According to Mustapha, at least 37 farms with a total of 133 ponds have been built in Region Six.
“Before we began this project in July 2021, farmers were producing only about 10,000 kilograms per month, or about 120,000 kilograms per year.” We indicated that this was the path we wanted to take and that farmers would be given assistance in expanding. We’ve been able to build 133 ponds so far, which has helped us exceed our early output targets,” he added.
To increase productivity, the government collaborated with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to conduct a research and collect data for the piloting and implementation of a strategy to increase shrimp production in Guyana and several other Caribbean countries.
The FAO, the World Wildlife Fund – Guianas (WWF-Guianas), and the ministry’s Fisheries Department recently delivered three manuals to the ministry, one of which will be used to guide brackish water shrimp production in Guyana.