Region Six shrimp output surges twelvefold to 122,000 kg a month

Shrimp production in Guyana’s Region Six has surged more than twelvefold in four years, underscoring the rapid growth of the country’s agriculture sector and the success of its aquaculture initiatives.

Speaking at the World Food Day 2025 ceremony, Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, said the brackish water shrimp industry has expanded exponentially—transforming from a small-scale venture into a lucrative and sustainable enterprise.

“Now, in 2025, we have completed about 80 per cent of the project, and production has moved from 9,933 kilograms in 2021 to 122,000 kilograms monthly,” Mustapha reported.

The project began with small-scale, subsistence farmers along the Corentyne Coast but has since evolved into a thriving industry through strategic government support, training, and infrastructure upgrades.

“His Excellency, the President, encouraged us to work with these farmers to enhance their farms and increase production,” Mustapha explained.

In 2023, the industry generated about $1.8 billion for shrimp farmers in Region Six, and as of August this year, earnings reached $774.9 million with several productive months still ahead.

“We have been transforming people’s lives. That’s our objective — to make more opportunities available for our citizens,” Mustapha said.

He also highlighted the wider government investment in agriculture, noting that spending in the sector has risen sharply over the past five years

“We have moved the expenditure in the agriculture sector from a mere $13 billion in 2020 to $104 billion this year,” he said, describing the increase as crucial to modernising the agri-food system and boosting food security.

“We recognise the importance of the oil and gas sector, but agriculture remains the most important sector for our country and the world because it is responsible for food security. Without food, we can’t survive,” Mustapha added.

The minister reaffirmed the government’s long-term vision to strengthen agriculture as a driver of economic growth, job creation, and sustainability.

“We are building capacity and advancing infrastructural development tremendously. The progress in Region Six shows what’s possible when we invest in our people and in the future of agriculture,” he said.

Corentyne fishermen in the field