Approximately 500 single-parent families from Rose Hall and surrounding villages in Berbice will soon have access to 50 acres of land for advanced farming initiatives.
His Excellency Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali made the announcement when he met with residents at the Rose Hall Community Centre Ground on Saturday.
This plan, put into motion earlier last week, will see the installation of hydroponics equipment for a safer and more modernised method of agriculture.
For context, aquaponics is a food production system that combines aquaculture (raising fish) and hydroponics (growing plants without soil).
The president said the implementation of the system will provide families with the economic empowerment they need to continue to develop and enhance their own lives.
The government will also work on finding the market for the goods produced.
“We are creating 500 new small enterprises for these communities. We want you to be able to be empowered, to add to your disposable income,” the president explained.
A similar project was launched in Essequibo in December 2023, where young people were introduced to the idea of hydroponic cultivation.
In addition to this, the head of state announced that another 100 acres of swamp land has been earmarked for the expansion of the government’s successful brackish water shrimp project.
Last year saw the largest production of this kind of shrimp in Guyana’s history, earning the country approximately $1.3 billion.
“We are going to put the capital and the machinery in. These are tens of millions of dollars of investment that we are going to make to catalyse opportunity, to bring opportunity, to bring new areas of growth and new areas of wealth because that is what we are about,” President Ali explained.
The government continues to support single-parent households through various initiatives. Significant work on the homestead programme has been completed.
This project is a $6 billion initiative that will see the construction of 500 homes at Yarrowkabra along the Soesdyke-Linden highway, integrating modern agricultural technology and solar energy solutions.
The first 25 homes are on track for completion by the end of July this year.
The Ministry of Agriculture has also seen significant success in its pilot One Guyana Cut Rose project, which earned the state $7 million in 2024.
The programme was also designed by President Ali to create employment and generate an alternative stream of income for women and single parents countrywide.
Collectively, these projects achieve the government’s vision of ensuring Guyanese from all walks of life have a stable income while contributing to national sustainable development. (Department of Public Information)
