Guyana’s onion consumption amounts to approximately 3,987 metric tons thus costing the country a fresh market expenditure of US$ 1,459,765.
As such it has long been seen as a plausible move for Guyana to start producing its own onions.
Following several trials of onion cultivation by small farmers, large-scale production of the commodity in Guyana has been deemed feasible. This would result in a significant reduction of the import bill for onions into the country.
This is according to a report by the Department of Public Information which revealed that partnering agencies, National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) and World University Service of Canada WUSC, had conducted pilot projects in several parts of Guyana in this regard.
The project was rolled out in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six and Ten.
The trials were conducted in areas of Mahaica River, Kara-Kara, Amelia’s Ward, Affiance, Parika, Hopetown and Benab to name a few. Indicative research showed that monitoring should be focused on protected cultivation, nutritional and irrigation facts.
The objectives of the trials were to demonstrate that onions can be grown locally, to determine the producer’s perception of cultivating onions through participatory research and evaluation, garner consumers perception of taste and preference of the locally grown commodity.
Presentations highlighting the findings of the trial, lessons learnt as well as recommendations going forward were made by NAREI’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr, Oudho Homenauth, Research Scientist, Tracy Persaud and PROPEL Agronomist, Joanna Robertson.
In her review of the project, PROPEL Agronomist, Robertson noted that, “It is our hope to increase onion production in Guyana over a period of years…The long-term effect would be for us to gradually reduce the amounts of imports of onions in due time as production increases.”