Guyana’s poultry industry is on track to produce approximately 99,310 tonnes of chicken in 2026, continuing a remarkable upward trend that has more than doubled production over the past five years.
This is according to Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips who made the announcement on Wednesday.
Delivering the feature address at the commissioning of the Agriculture Innovation and Entrepreneurship Programme (AIEP) Tunnel-Ventilated Pen Project in Mon Repos, the prime minister said the growth reflects the government’s sustained investments in modernising the livestock sector and strengthening national food security.
He noted that poultry production has risen dramatically since 2020, positioning Guyana to meet growing domestic demand while laying the foundation for future exports.
“The poultry industry has been a major driver of this transformation, with production more than doubling in just five years, rising from 43,726 tonnes in 2020 to 91,382 tonnes in 2025, an increase of 108.9 per cent,” the prime minister said.
He added that production is expected to climb even higher this year.
“Production is expected to reach approximately 99,310 tonnes in 2026, positioning Guyana to meet growing domestic demand while strengthening its food security agenda,” the prime minister expressed.
Prime Minister Phillips said the expansion is being driven by the government’s broader strategy to modernise agriculture through technology, innovation and targeted investments.
According to the prime minister, the climate-smart facilities will help reduce poultry mortality rates from more than 10 per cent to about 2.8 per cent, while enabling farmers to produce larger quantities of high-quality poultry in a controlled environment.
The project was conceptualised by President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali and represents an investment of more than G$1 billion in infrastructure, equipment, and training and has expanded the AIEP across Regions Three, Four, and Five.
The project comprises five state-of-the-art poultry facilities located at Mon Repos, Cornelia Ida, and Onverwagt, all of which have been completed and are currently stocked with birds.
Additionally, Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha announced that the project will continue to expand rapidly, with six additional tunnel-ventilated pens expected to become operational before the end of July.
He said the government is targeting 10 fully operational tunnel-ventilated pens by the end of 2026, with the initiative also being expanded to Regions Two and Six as part of efforts to increase poultry production nationwide.
Each pen accommodates between 20,000 and 45,000 birds, reaching market weight within just 5 to 6 weeks. With the capacity to produce 350 to 450 tonnes of meat annually through 6 to 7 production cycles per year, these facilities are significantly reducing the country’s dependence on imports while strengthening national food security.
Beyond production, these modern operations are creating opportunities for young people, with approximately 40 young Guyanese directly managing and operating each pen. The facilities are designed for maximum efficiency, requiring only three staff members per pen while delivering strong economic returns of approximately $283 million in annual revenue and $61 million in annual profit per facility.
The prime minister also noted that discussions are advancing on establishing a vaccine manufacturing facility in Guyana to strengthen livestock biosecurity across the region, while government continues partnering with the private sector to expand local corn and soybean production to lower feed costs.
“The livestock sector has emerged as one of the fastest-growing areas within agriculture, and the momentum continues to build. The work we are doing today is laying the foundation for a more productive, technology-driven and sustainable agricultural sector,” the prime minister said. (Department of Public Information)
