HGP Nightly News – Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha is warning that the rollout of a new brackish water shrimp project on the Essequibo Coast must be handled transparently and fairly, saying the initiative cannot be allowed to turn into an opportunity for favoritism as residents begin positioning themselves to benefit.
Speaking at the launch of the project in Region Two, Mustapha said the allocation of opportunities must be carefully managed from the very start. According to him, participants will be placed into groups, but that process must be done openly and without preference for relatives, friends or political connections.
“We have to put people in groups and we have to ensure we do it in a very transparent manner,” the minister said. He added that there is often “a culture as Guyanese” where once money is involved, people want to bring in “family and friends, children and everyone,” but made it clear that the project will begin with “one member per family.”
The minister said the shrimp venture is not intended to replace rice cultivation on the Essequibo Coast, but rather to give farmers and families another source of income. “This doesn’t mean that when you start this project you will abandon rice cultivation. This is just another opportunity to earn more money,” he said, framing the initiative as a complement to the region’s traditional agricultural base rather than a shift away from it.
Mustapha pointed to the coast’s natural suitability for the project, noting that the area has access to shrimp larvae from the Atlantic Ocean. He said interest has already been strong, with several residents identifying plots of four to five acres where they hope to begin operations once the groundwork is completed.
But while encouraging participation, the minister also stressed that the project must be developed sustainably. He warned that shrimp ponds cannot come at the expense of the coast’s environmental protection systems. “We have to be careful not to interfere with the sea defence, destroy the mangroves… so we have to do it in a way that is very sustainable,” he said.
Outlining the implementation plan, Mustapha said two machines are expected to be deployed to Region Two within six weeks to begin preparatory work. That process is expected to include organising participant groups, identifying suitable lands and constructing shrimp ponds. He added that within two months, at least one block of the project should be ready for water intake and shrimp cultivation.
The minister expressed confidence that the initiative could transform incomes on the Essequibo Coast, describing it as a potential “game changer” for the region. He pointed to the success of a similar brackish-water shrimp farming project in Region Six, which he described as one of the most notable successes in Guyana’s agriculture sector.
According to Mustapha, farmers there have seen strong production and significant earnings, with shrimp selling for more than $1,000 per pound and net incomes reaching approximately $545,000 every six weeks after expenses.
