Guyana is reducing its reliance on imported high-value vegetables as more young farmers embrace modern farming methods to produce crops that were once sourced almost entirely from overseas.
Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha said the government’s Agricultural Innovation and Entrepreneurship Programme (AIEP), launched in 2021, has been driving that transformation by helping young people enter agriculture through hydroponics, shade-house farming and, more recently, poultry production.
Speaking at a recent commissioning ceremony, the minister recalled that Guyana previously imported about $600 million in high-value vegetables each year, including broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, lettuce and bell peppers, largely to supply the country’s expanding hospitality sector.
“Today, we are producing, and the young people in our country are producing more of those products,” Mustapha said.
To create stronger markets for local farmers, the Agriculture Ministry will soon bring together hotel owners and other stakeholders to establish direct supply arrangements between producers and the hospitality industry.
“We will be inviting all the owners of hotels to come into our ministry to talk to them and link them to farmers, link them to groups where they can have their produce directly from the farmers supplied to the hotels,” the minister said.
Mustapha said more than 300 young people are now participating in the programme’s hydroponics and shade-house projects, many of whom had no previous farming experience. He also noted that more women are becoming involved in livestock production, including sheep and cattle rearing.
According to the minister, expanding local production will not only strengthen Guyana’s food security but also position the country to meet growing demand across the Caribbean while creating more employment opportunities in agriculture.
