By INEWS

Copyright inewsguyana

Private cane and rice farmers in Skeldon, Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) are set to benefit from a range of new opportunities as government ramps up plans to diversify and modernise the agriculture sector.

This was revealed by President Dr Irfaan Ali on Wednesday during a meeting with the farmers and other stakeholders.

Within days, the President said, soil samples will be taken across the area, with full laboratory analyses to be carried out to determine which crops are most suitable for planting. The findings, he noted, will be made available digitally through a new online platform, ensuring farmers and potential investors can access the data.

“We are doing everything in a scientific way…All of the information will be placed digitally on the website so that all the farmers can see it, investors can see it. And then, we want a representative group of the cane farmers to work with the Ministry of Agriculture on defining the path that will lead us to full-scale production in a year,” he explained.

According to President Ali, several options are being explored for Skeldon’s agricultural future.

Among them is the establishment of a juice plant by Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL), which has expressed willingness to invest once farmers commit to citrus cultivation.

The President said DDL has signaled that such a plant could be operational in as little as 8–12 months, using citrus varieties capable of reaching production within 18 months.

Additionally, the President noted that two proposals to re-establish a sugar factory are under review, but cautioned that this requires “a long-term pricing mechanism” to justify investor capital, alongside billions in government infrastructure.

Other crops under active consideration include coconuts, coffee, cocoa, and even dragon fruit, with expertise being drawn from partners in Roraima, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic. Ali noted that Region Two already has 3,000 acres of new coconut under cultivation, pointing to strong market opportunities.

The government plans to convene a joint investment meeting within 14 days, bringing together cane farmers, the Ministry of Agriculture, private sector leaders from Guyana, Roraima, and the Dominican Republic, as well as financiers such as DDL and local banks. President Ali emphasised that commitment from all parties would be essential to moving forward.

“Whatever we do, we have to come up with a multi-pronged approach that will have different crops, but all in large-scale production to make it commercially viable,” he noted.