Livestock farmers in Guyana may soon be able to buy locally produced soybean meal as a Brazilian company is expected to begin cultivation at Ebini.
This is according to Dr Oudho Homenauth, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI).
Homenauth explained to Stabroek News last evening that Brazilian firm, New Frontier Agriculture Incorporated (NFAI) is set to begin large scale production of soybean in the community of Ebini in Region 10. He expressed the hope that the company will be able to begin farming 200 acres this year of a variety of soybeans which will be used to produce soybean meal (a main ingredient in livestock feed).
“We import about 30,000 tons of animal feed per year. Hopefully when this production begins we will be able to significantly reduce the amount of foreign exchange we have to spend on this product as we will be able to source it locally,” Homenauth said.
He explained that during 2015 NAREI utilised lands in Ebini to conduct a trial cultivation of the crop so as to evaluate how it would perform in the conditions of the community as well as to measure the crop yields.
“They (NFAI) worked with us and we were able to record yields which are very similar to those recorded under similar conditions in the Brazilian state of Roraima,” Homenauth noted. He added that in his capacity he has seen many persons coming in and making all sorts of proposals but this one he believes is a serious one with great potential.
NFAI is expected to travel to Ebini within the new week with equipment to begin land preparation. It is further expected that a nursery will be developed in the area before the middle of this year.
“We are open to investment in the savannahs and NFAI has shown interest in developing a commercial enterprise there. We conducted a trial and after it was successful they applied for land to facilitate a large scale investment,” Homenauth said. He added that while the company is expected to provide some form of employment to persons living in and around Ebini their production is highly mechanised and will thus require mostly skilled individuals.
