-gov’t to support Soesdyke-Linden communities with shade houses, farmsteads establishment
-President Ali announces

IN an effort to enhance the agricultural prospects of communities along Soesdyke-Linden Highway, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has revealed plans to offer support to farmers by constructing shade houses and providing other necessary agricultural inputs for productive farmsteads.
In a recent interaction with citizens, the Head of State provided reassurance regarding the government’s backing in the establishment of agricultural lands.
“If we have 500 persons from the highway who want to do farming and farming in a modern way, we want to give you an acre of land even in one of the mined-out areas, where you could build your farmstead and we will help you to establish shade houses so that you can have good production.”
He added: “So you can get a livelihood; you can get a decent living out of your farmstead.”
The government will provide assistance to unlock the production capacity of different communities, and additional support will be given to establish a stable market that guarantees fair earnings for farmers.
“With these farmsteads, we will have one processing facility that will take all the production. So if have 500 persons and if 500 persons are concentrating in hot peppers, we will put a production facility that will take off all the hot peppers,” the Head of State explained.
With the introduction of shade houses, as he indicated, residents could potentially earn an annual income surpassing $1.2 million.
“We can help you by giving infrastructure and you will earn more,” he emphasised.
Aside from this, the Soesdkye-Linden Highway is expected to see a boost in commercial activity with the construction of a major regional food hub along the highway.
In a recent development, the government initiated the bidding process for the $625.2 million project. The commencement of Phase One of the project took place in 2023, accompanied by an investment totalling $187 million. Now looking to implement the second phase, qualified contractors are being sought to participate in the National Competitive Bidding (NCB) process.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, a total of US$14 million has been allocated for the regional food complex’s construction.
The food terminal will facilitate the aggregation, distribution, and marketing of source-identified food products, mainly obtained from the state of Roraima in Brazil.
Once the project is completed, Guyana is expected to become a regional trade, transportation, and logistics centre between Roraima, South America, and the Caribbean, enhancing bilateral trade connections between Guyana and Brazil.
The hub is also expected to generate more revenue and create employment opportunities in the post-harvest and agri-logistics industries in the country’s rural and remote regions.
Once completed, the terminal will provide vital services including cleaning, sorting, packaging, repackaging, labelling, and storing products in temperature-controlled units to ensure their quality and safety.
This project aligns with Guyana’s and the Caribbean Community’s CARICOM target of reducing the hefty food expenditure, slashing a US$6 billion import bill by 25 per cent by 2025.
The food hub will help reduce shipping costs for products from Roraima and address existing logistical challenges lowering  the cost of fresh and processed agricultural products, benefiting both local consumers and regional markets by making food more affordable and accessible.