-boost in economic development, empowerment of over 200 young people expected

Story and photos by Indrawattie Natram

PRESIDENT Dr Irfaan Ali on Sunday turned the sod for the construction of a hydroponics farm at the Guyana School of Agriculture’s (GSA) Region Two branch, which will focus on empowering youth, women and local entrepreneurs.

The hydroponics farm is in keeping with the government’s commitment to the continued development of the Pomeroon -Supenaam region.

President Ali said the $200 million project will spur economic development and create hundreds of jobs in the region. The project falls under the Agriculture and Innovation Entrepreneurship Programme (AIEP).

The initiative will see the establishment of a cutting-edge hydroponic facility in Essequibo, which is intended to empower over 200 young individuals from the region to become business owners and pioneers in hydroponics.

Addressing a mammoth crowd early Sunday morning at Cotton Field, where the facility will be constructed, President Ali said that the project will ensure that there is food security for all Essequibians.

“Essequibo is not only rich in natural resources, but it is the home for an important deliverable for the people of Guyana and that is the production of food and Essequibo produces a lot of produce which we eat in Guyana,” President Ali said.

President Ali said the project will focus on high-value crops that are critical to the economy which continues to grow and diversify. Some of the crops that will be grown include varieties of lettuce, bell pepper, celery, kale, pak choi and tomatoes.

“The purpose is to ensure that we have crops that can go into the hospitality sector. The production will be able to add to national production. We are talking about $10 million in revenue alone for lettuce right at this facility,” he explained.

When completed, the President said the facility in the second year will earn a projected annual revenue of more than $65 million. The second phase of the project will focus on breeding animals.

DEVELOPMENT WILL CONTINUE

President Ali said that even though there are challenges with Venezuela, the Government of Guyana is building Essequibo to be stronger, more sustainable, and more resilient.

He said an acre of land has been cleared to accommodate the hydroponics farm.

President Ali explained that the project is part of a programme that is designed for self-reliance and supply of food to the region through innovation that will enable sustainability.

“We are firm and united as a people so too is this project. Guyana will take up this important challenge of being the food basket of this region… this acreage of land will involve young people in agri-tech, agriculture, business and high-value production in a business model,” President Ali said.

He called on Essequibians not to lose focus on the important task of building communities and the country. He told them and the business community not to have fear and to continue to invest.

Hydroponics is a soil-less cultivation method, which is deemed the future of agriculture mainly because of its efficiency and sustainability as well as its ability to increase crop yield.

The project is expected to boost agricultural productivity in the region, as well as introduce modern farming techniques and provide a platform for young entrepreneurs to prosper.

In this innovative approach, President Ali said Guyana wants to have 50 per cent of the new farms owned by youths and women by 2030.

The project is funded by ExxonMobil under its Greater Guyana Initiative (GGI) and is a part of the government’s efforts to reduce the regional food-import bill by 25 per cent by 2025.
Over 15 herbs and vegetables are currently being cultivated at a hydroponics farm operated by the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) at Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara. These include mustard, basil, chai, thyme, and local and foreign varieties of pak choi.