Brazil looks to Guyana as source for fertiliser

Guyana’s plan to develop a fertiliser plant has caught the attention of Brazil, as the country’s Vice Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Cleber Soares, said his country is looking to Guyana as a potential fertiliser source.

Vice Minister Soares met with President Dr. Irfaan Ali at the Office of the President in Georgetown on Tuesday, where he noted that Brazil imported 90 percent of the fertilisers used in its agriculture sector last year.

Discussions are now focused on Guyana’s plan to manufacture the product, and more broadly, on developing a stronger trade relationship between the two nations.

“We [can] enhance our partnership between Brazil and Guyana to do different kinds of commerce, different kinds of market access. Like we can send how much you need [in] grains and fruits and vegetables, and they can do good market, good commerce…and combine with fertiliser. Then I’m sure that partnership have everything to be very strong,” Vice Minister Soares said.

He added that fertiliser in general, especially nano-fertiliser, is critical to Brazil’s agriculture sector.

Guyana intends to have an operational fertiliser plant by 2028. The US$300 million Guyana Ammonia and Urea Plant (GAUP), to be developed at Wales, West Bank Demerara, will use up to 20 million cubic feet of natural gas per day sourced from the second phase of the Wales Gas-to-Energy project. Once completed, the facility is expected to produce around 300,000 tonnes of fertiliser annually.

President Ali has long identified northern Brazil as a major commercial hub for Guyana, and during Tuesday’s engagement reiterated that the two South American neighbours can work together to transform the regional food system.

“I’m very pleased of this level of cooperation and very pleased of the success that we’ve been able to achieve so far. There’s a lot of work to be done. We’re opening up tens of thousands of acres of new land, and we want a lot of the ideas,” President Ali said.