Under the Agriculture Innovation and Entrepreneurship Programme (AIEP), managed by the Ministry of Agriculture, a total of 603 shade houses were established from 2021 to 2024. This initiative, launched by President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali in 2021, aims to engage the youth of Guyana in the nation’s agricultural development strategy.
During a recent press conference held at the Ministry’s Regent Street office, Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha reported on the Ministry’s accomplishments. Notably, in 2024, 219 shade houses were constructed nationwide under the AIEP’s shade house and high-value crop program. These were primarily allocated to farmers from various agricultural groups and some government agencies.
The AIEP’s hot pepper project saw 25 shade houses built by participating farmers last year, alongside 67 created by another group of farmers. Additionally, public schools benefited from the construction of 21 shade houses, while six were built on different farms. The ‘Coco Coffee’ group added three shade houses, an orphanage built one, and a local group erected another 96.
Complementing these efforts, Guyana now hosts the largest hydroponics farm in the Caribbean at Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara. These developments aim to cut the regional food import bill by 25 percent by 2025. To further this endeavor, the National Agriculture Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) has joined forces with private company Victoria Green to roll out a groundbreaking hydroponic greenhouse project. This farm, now fully operational, can accommodate around 100 seedlings.
Minister Mustapha emphasized the nation’s commitment to sustainable agriculture, economic growth, and food security through these initiatives. The shade house establishments have greatly advanced Guyana’s ambition of becoming a Caribbean food hub, while also enabling young people to gain profitable partnerships with the government through sustainable agricultural practices.
