–with massive hydroponics investment in Region Two

GUYANA has made yet another leap in its mission for food security, with President Irfaan Ali announcing what he described as the largest investment in hydroponics agriculture in the region. In a brief Facebook post on Saturday, the Head of State highlighted the country’s growing self-sufficiency and noted that this investment is the largest of its kind within the community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).

“This is the largest investment in hydroponics agriculture in the entire region. The entire region. We’re even talking about the CELAC region,” he said, referring to the new hydroponics facility located at the Guyana School of Agriculture in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), which spans approximately one acre.

In a passionate update to the nation, the President stated that Guyana’s success in the areas of food security and agriculture is owed to robust investments and innovative policies by the Government of Guyana. “As identified, Guyana is the only food self-sufficient country in the world. That came from policy, investment, programmes, and the hard work of our farmers. But we’re taking it to the next level,” he said.

While the development of these sectors has had a great impact on Guyana, the Head of State explained that the next step for the country’s agriculture sector is to seamlessly integrate into the regional and international food markets. Describing the planned trajectory of the sector, President Ali stated, “Now we’re investing in facilities for sustainable and resilient food production, not only for the local market, but targeting our regional and international markets. Building the regional food hub, investing in the regional food hub, and creating a business ecosystem to support food production for Guyana, the region, and the world.”

During a visit to the Region Two hydroponics farm, the President also highlighted the importance of youth in agriculture. He shared that the government continues to foster growth in the sector by building hydroponics farms like the ones already functioning in other regions across Guyana.

“But how do we make this interesting? How do we make it an enterprise through which young people are involved, through which young people feel excited about food production, excited about agriculture? And this is what these magnificent facilities are. The combined two facilities here in Region 2 are replicated in Region 10, in Region 5, and every other region across our country,” he said.

The new hydroponics facility is designed to produce high-value crops such as lettuce, bell peppers, tomatoes, and celery; the state-of-the-art shade house features automated systems for watering, temperature control, and agrochemical application. The $200 million investment is expected to generate over 40,000 pounds of lettuce annually and create jobs for more than 200 residents in the region, while serving as a model for similar developments across the country.

He further explained that the hydroponics facilities will help reduce Guyana’s import bill and support national food sovereignty. “And this is what these facilities will be doing. They’ll be targeting high-value crops to reduce our import bill and to ensure that we have sustainable and resilient agriculture. These are state-of-the-art facilities equipped with extractor fans, temperature control, automated watering systems, and automated agrochemical applications,” he added.

The government’s aggressive push toward agricultural innovation is part of a broader strategy to position Guyana as a leader in sustainable food systems, both regionally and internationally. With this hydroponics project, the country is planting seeds for a future that is not only self-sufficient but also export-ready.