Trials for the cultivation of millets in Guyana will soon commence following the signing of an agreement between the Ministry of Agriculture and UPL Limited, an Indian-based company.
According to a release by the Ministry, in March 2023 Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha visited India and participated in round table discussions at the Global Millet ‘Shree Anna’ Conference and met with India’s Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
Other ministers from across the world were also in attendance to discuss fostering millets production in countries like Guyana to increase food security.
Millets are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food.
Prior to that, President Dr. Irfaan Ali, during a virtual address at the inauguration of the conference, the Global Millet Conference in New Delhi, India disclosed that Guyana will soon commence cultivation trials for millets production in Regions Four, Nine, and Ten to support the transition to large-scale production of the seed locally.
The release said that UPL Limited will provide new technology and agriculture inputs while the government will assist with developing approximately 200 acres for the cultivation of millet.
The Head of State previously noted that the production of millet will help support poverty reduction efforts and that the areas earmarked for the trials represent the profit zone in which similar crops like corn and soya are adaptive and being produced on a large scale.
“Guyana looks forward to strengthening its cooperation with India to kickstart large, medium, and small-scale production of millets. India is the largest millet producer in the world, and through collaboration, Guyana hopes to embark soon on the sustainable production of millets,” President Ali said.
During the signing, Minister Mustapha said that Guyana was pleased to commence trials for millet cultivation. He noted that Guyana was leading the agriculture agenda in CARICOM in keeping with the region’s Vision 25 by 2025 and that millets would contribute significantly to those efforts.
