Aquaculture Prospectus for Guyana

Sector Overview
Prepared by: The National Aquaculture Association of Guyana
October 2008

Introduction
During late 2005 early
2006, the Government of
Guyana called for a Fast Track
Sector Development Plan to
address
commercial
aquaculture.
Based
on
research
and
Guyanas
natural
competitive
advantages, it was decided
that aquaculture should take a
front-seat position as a key
element of the diversification
of Guyanas rich natural
resources, and a movement
away from its potentially
debilitating dependence on
traditional crops such as rice
and sugar. Far earlier than
that, though, the 1950s
brought the introduction of
two species of Tilapia, the
Oreochromis mossambicus and
the Oreochromis niloticus, and
later the introduction of the
Red Tilapia. Presently, Tilapia
is considered part of the
natural order in Guyana, and
it is common to see scenes of
fishermen casting nets into
canals and lakes to reap
Tilapia, which is then sold in
local markets.

Fast Movement of
Development
In the relatively short
period between the call from
the
government
for
diversification and current

developments, much has been

accomplished in the support
and setup for aquaculture in
Guyana. The formulation in
2006
of
the
National
Aquaculture Association of
Guyana (NAAG)1, which is a
public-private
donor
initiative, has created a forum
for
all
stakeholders
in
aquaculture to meet and steer
the
direction
and
development of the industry.
It is also a place where jointventure relationships can
converge
and
grow.
Furthermore, a paramount
capacity of NAAG is the
extension services it offers
members,
addressing
technical issues, logistics,
production concerns, and
training,
which
are
all
invaluable for small and large
farms alike.

Red Tilapia Harvested in

Guyana
To aid small farms and
supplement larger farms,
there was a joint initiative
between the Ministry of
Agriculture2
and
NAAG
which
had
began
the

construction of a hatchery at
the Mon Repos Research
Facility as of mid-year of 2008.
The Mon Repos Hatchery was
commissioned in August 2008
and
estimates
fingerling
production at approximately
200,000 annually. The Mon
Repos Research Facility has
been established by the
government for nearly five
years and has concluded
much research that supports
the feasibility of aquaculture
in
Guyana.
A
further
Research Facility in Anna
Regina is undergoing plans
for renovation to ease the
servicing of the industry on
the Essequibo coast.
In light of the premium
price for fresh fish products,
and in joint goals with nontraditional agriculture cash
crops, a cold storage facility
has been constructed at
Timehri, and is an expansion
of
the
Cheddi
Jagan
International Airport. This
cold storage facility is able to
house fresh fillets and fresh
fish
for
immediate
transportation
to
fresh
markets in both the United
States and the Caribbean.
In August of 2007, a
watershed moment for the
industry was reached when
the first exports of Tilapia
were shipped to market in
New York.3 To bolster the
capacity
of
aquaculture

exports,
Bharrat
Jagdeo,
President of Guyana, has
voiced his support and
encouraged rice farmers to
diversify their lands by
developing
aquaculture
ponds and begin growing
fish.

Fresh on Ice Harvest Nile

Tilapia (10 oz.)
Maharaja Oil Mills, a
local producer of animal feed
and coconut oil and a longstanding member of NAAG,
has successfully addressed
the imperative input of fish
feed by developing, in
collaboration with NAAG
extension staff, three proteinrich products that can be used
at the three main growing
stages: high protein at fry
stage,
fatting
feed
at
fingerling stage, and grow-out
feed for the production growout
stage.
This
complementary feed industry
to the aquaculture industry
allows business people to
easily increase production
without worry of threat by an
unreliable feed regiment.
Furthering
technical
development,
Guyana
is
participating
with
the

University of Arizona in the

United
States
and
the
Collaborative
Research
Support Program (CRSP), an
international
multidisciplinary partnership to
advance science, research,
education, and outreach in
aquatic resources. Shared
information and research
among the partners in the
program will ensure that
Guyana stays on the forefront
of aquaculture research and
stays competitive.
Following a strategy to
dramatically
increase
efficiency in production, in
2006, a technology labeled
supermale or YY males from the
University of Wales, Swansea4
was introduced into Guyana.
These
supermales
(O.
niloticus) guarantee all male
progeny. This allows farmers
to benefit from the quick rate
of growth of an all-male crop,
and
requires
no
sex
separation of fish. This
technology is also being
utilized by the Mons Repos
Hatchery to supply an allmale fingerling stock to
farmers.
In the wake of disasters
and
environmental
mismanagement within the
global industry of marine
fisheries and aquaculture,
Guyana has taken an active
role
in
exploring
and
adhering to environmental
aquaculture
standards.
Participation in the World
Wildlife
Funds
Tilapia
Aquaculture Dialog5 is only
one of the many ways that
Guyana is addressing the
necessary
issue
of
a
sustainable
environment.

NAAG is a member of the

World Aquaculture Society
Latin
American
and
Caribbean Chapter, and is
also associated with the
American Tilapia Association,
supporting improvements in
technology, practices, and
environment to build a better
industry.
The
Inter-American
Development
Bank
has
loaned the Government of
Guyana US$1 million for
technical
assistance
concerning feed, hatcheries,
and production management.
Ideally this will bring into the
country external expertise in
the form of experienced
aquaculture consultants who
will facilitate in furthering
efficiency and development in
those areas.

Ideal Irrigation and Drainage

Land Layout

Competitive
Advantages of
Guyana
Proximity to markets,
inexpensive labor, the fertility
and development of land and
an abundance of fresh and
brackish water are just a few
of the advantages that
encourage
investment
in
aquaculture in Guyana. In
particular, the layout of land
in combination with these

advantages
shows
that
Guyana is perfectly suited for
semi-intensive aquaculture.
Guyanas proximity to
North America and the
Caribbean unlocks markets
that
are
starving
for
aquaculture
imports.
Guyanas location on the
northern part of South
America also allows for
premium access to shipping
lanes
and
air
travel.
Established shipping lanes to
Miami and New York have
existed for 40 years. In
addition, the major seafood
processors in Guyana are US
FDA HACCP6 certified,
which guarantees a winning
exporting function that is
already
in-country.

Fresh on Ice Harvest - Nile

Tilapia
Given Guyanas long
history of rice and sugar
cultivation, its lands have
been developed with drainage
and irrigation canals that are
ideal
for
feeding
and
removing
water
from
developed aquaculture land.
A fresh water conservancy
exists that easily irrigates
lands between it and the
Atlantic
Ocean.
The
abundance of land situated
between existing canals on the
coastal plains proves model
for
semi-intensive
aquaculture
production

ponds, and often this land

consists of clay extremely
suitable for excavation and
containment of water. Equally
important is the tropical
climate of Guyana which
provides optimal temperature
year
round
for
tilapia
production.

HACCP Certified Fish

Processors

Donor Support
Several donor agencies
have participated in the
development of aquaculture
in Guyana. The United
Kingdoms Department for
International
Development
(DFID) funded an initial
aquaculture feasibility study
focusing on Guyana, the
results of which eagerly
encouraged
aquaculture
development. The United
States
Agency
for
International
Development
(USAID) created the Guyana
Trade
and
Investment
Support (GTIS) project that
focuses on four main sectors
of trade and investment, and
has
actively
supported
NAAG, and is working
closely with private and
public stakeholders towards
furthering development in
aquaculture. The British High
Commission
funded
the
introduction of the supermale
technology into Guyana.

Future Prospects
Considering
all
the
support that has been set up
for the sector, aquaculture in
Guyana is still in its infancy,
but has a very promising
future. Currently there are
mostly small farmers who
have
developed
small
acreage, while larger more
commercially minded farms
are coming aboard and have
pledged to develop 2,100
acres of flooded surface over
the next five years.

Protecting and
Developing Labor
through
Education
A collaboration among
the government, NAAG, the
University of Guyana (UG),
and the Guyana School of
Agriculture (GSA) aims to
further develop and educate
the aquaculture labor force.
Course opportunities are
already being offered in
aquaculture at GSA, and are
soon to be offered at UG.

Production
Projections
A 25-acre production farm
operating at a stocking density
of one fish for every four feet
(1:4 ft) can produce in one full
production crop 272,250 fish. If
a fillet-sized fish were to be
grown out, approximately 1.4
lbs/fish, a single crop would
reap 381,150 lbs of fish. If a onelb whole fish were desired,
272,250 lbs could be harvested.

Alternatively, if the same

production farm could achieve
the estimated six-month grow
out time required to produce a
fish
for
market
size
(approximately 1 lb), then two
full production crops could be
yielded in a single year,
resulting in approximately
544,500 lbs of fish.

A production crop is
estimated to require six to nine
months to grow a 1 lb Tilapia,
depending on management
practices, proper feed, and
water quality.
Table 1 gives an estimated
glance at what a small,
medium, and large farm setup
may yield.

Budget Concerns
Tables 2 - 4 are estimations
on the key costs of aquaculture
development and operation.
This is an illustrative budget
and is not inclusive of all costs.

Table 1: Production Projections

Total Flooded Area (acres)

Stocking Density

Crops/yr

Production (lbs)

Revenue (US$1.10/lb)

1:4 ft

21,780

$ 23,958

10

1:4 ft

217,800

$ 239,580

50

1:4 ft

1,890,000

$ 2,079,000

300

1:4 ft

6,534,000

$ 7,187,400

Table 2: Development Costs

Cost Item

Cost

Comments

Pond Excavation Renting of

Excavator Service

G$120/sq yd

A one-acre pond would cost G$484,000 (US$2,420)

Irrigation and Drainage Piping

(Pressure Piping 6 x 19.5)

G$14,500/pipe

Depending on the distance between

irrigation/drainage cana and the production pond,
pipes could be cut in half. Three pipes will be needed:
irrigation, drainage and overflow piping.

Predation Defense (Chain link

fence)

Fencing (4x75) G$11,322

Wooden Post G$750

This cost is highly dependent on farm configuration. A

fence surrounding a single one-acre pond made of
wooden posts and chain link fence may run
G$734,130. Note: Encompassing a larger perimeter
would be more cost effective.

Table 3: Direct Costs

*

Cost Item

Cost

Comments

Feed

G$50/lb

Using a feed-to-conversion ratio of 2lbs feed to 1 lb

fish (2:1) and the aforementioned model of 272,250
lbs harvested fish per crop comes to G$21,780,000
(US$108,900) worth of feed. Note: feed is the most
expensive input into the production cycle.

Fingerlings

G$15/ready for grow-out

fingerling

To stock a one-acre production pond at 10,000 fish,

G$150,000 (US$750).

1 Farm Manager

G$80,000+/month

It is estimated that a farm manager, with the

assistance of labor, would manage five one-acre
production ponds.

1 Farm Laborer

G$1,500/day

Two farm laborers can assist one farm pond manager

over five acres of ponds.

G$200 US$1

Pond Maintenance and

Preparation

G$5,000

Includes fertilizer, chemicals

Table 4: Pricing
Item

Price

Frozen Whole

US$0.80/lb $1.00/lb

Fresh Whole

US$1.10/lb

Frozen Fillet

US$1.50/lb $2.00/lb

Fresh Fillet

US$2.50/lb $3.00/lb

National Aquaculture Association of Guyana, http://aquaculture.org.gy/

Guyanas Ministry of Agriculture, http://www.sdnp.org.gy/minagri/moa_mfcl/index.htm
3
Tilapia exported to NY - aquaculture group to join GuyExpo Thursday, September 27th 2007 Stabroek News,
http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article?id=56529686
4 University of Wales, Swansea, http://www.swansea.ac.uk/
5 World Wildlife Fund, Tilapia Aquaculture Dialog, http://worldwildlife.org/cci/aquaculture.cfm
6 United States Food and Drug Administration Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point,
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/haccp.html
2