-more youths, women, single parents being involved
-President Ali says

IN Guyana, there is a need for a more scientific approach to agriculture to improve food security and economic growth, and, according to the country’s President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, engaging young people and women in the industry can help achieve this goal.
“We’ll be working on a number of programmes to increase yield, increase productivity, diversify our cropping system, expand our production bases, introduce new forms of crops,” the Head of State said during a recent engagement with graduates of the University of Guyana and the Guyana School of Agriculture.

These initiatives, he explained, are all aimed at improving the sector’s competitiveness, increasing yield and expanding market share, whilst at the same time reducing imports.
Dr. Ali is the lead Head of Government with responsibility for agriculture, agricultural diversification and food security in the region’s Quasi Cabinet.
Caribbean leaders are hoping to reduce the region’s food import $US6 billion expenditure by 25 per cent by 2025 and Guyana has been leading in this effort.
“This is important. We have to look at crops that allow us to reduce that import. You also have a lot of foreign direct investment in agriculture now. So, whilst we’re doing this, we also have a major investment in grains, corn, soya, expansion of rice, black eye [and] red beans.”

Back in 2022, President Ali launched the Agriculture and Innovation Entrepreneurship Programme (AIEP).
More than 100 young graduates of the University of Guyana and the Guyana School of Agriculture are engaged in shadehouse farming, growing crops such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and romaine and iceberg lettuce.
Initially, about 25 shadehouses were to be established for the cultivation of three high-value crops. However, the success of the programme prompted the government to invest further in the initiative.
By the end of 2022, 120 shadehouses were constructed to support the production. The administration aims to engage a further 100 new young ‘agri’ entrepreneurs and increase production of the crops by 50 per cent.

MORE YOUTHS, WOMEN
The AIEP project President Ali said is now being expanded with the introduction of farmsteads and expansion of poultry production.
“We want to lift you at a higher level,” he said,
adding: “Under [this] programme we want to build agro-businesses, we don’t only want you to get a job, we want you to eventually own your own businesses that take you beyond an employee and gives you the opportunity at owning your business and being a part of this big growth of agriculture.”
The Head of State further disclosed that some 100 acres of land have been dedicated to scientific farming at the National Agriculture Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) Mon Repos, East Coast of Demerara, which many young people have been participating in experiments to produce crops.
Already onion experiments have been conducted, while crops are being produced at shade houses to meet the demands of regional markets.
“These are all opportunities for you… do not limit yourself when thinking that you should be behind the desk. You can be a major supplier [and a] major business owner,” President Ali said.