AS Guyana continues advancing its sustainable agriculture agenda, the Ministry of Agriculture, on Tuesday, commissioned two new state-of-the-art facilities valued at over $67.7 million, designed to tackle the challenges of food waste and pest management in the farming sector.

The newly launched facilities, a vermicomposting unit and an Acoushi Ant Bait Production Facility, were established by the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) and are expected to reduce farm losses, enhance soil fertility, and strengthen the country’s overall food security framework.

The vermicomposting facility utilises Eisenia fetida (red wigglers) to convert organic waste, including crop residues and livestock manure, into nutrient-rich compost that improves soil health, water retention, and crop productivity.

Meanwhile, the Acoushi Ant Bait Production Facility features a semi-automated mixing and drying system, enabling the annual production of up to 30,000 packets of bait—doubling previous output and ensuring farmers have consistent access to locally produced pest control, even during the rainy season.

Delivering the feature address at NAREI’s Mon Repos compound, Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, underscored the transformative impact of the initiative. “Today, we have developed a process where we are using waste to the benefit of our country’s development and to the benefit of the sector,” the minister said, adding that such innovations are essential to achieving Guyana’s food security goals.

Turning to the ant bait production facility, Minister Mustapha noted that the project directly responds to challenges faced by farmers, particularly from crop destruction caused by Acoushi ants.

“As a government, we are working to modernise the sector,” he affirmed, while emphasising the need to reduce waste generation and promote recycling within agriculture. “Farmers used to dispose of all the waste… filling up our land with dump sites. But we are building facilities like these to change that.”

The Agriculture Minister also revealed that Guyana’s first tissue culture laboratory will soon be commissioned. “In another couple of weeks from now, we will also commission, for the first time in Guyana’s history, a tissue culture lab,” Minister Mustapha announced.

Also speaking at the event, Minister within the Ministry of Agriculture, Vikash Ramkissoon, highlighted the broader significance of the new facilities for both farmers and the research community. “The commissioning of these two important facilities—the Acoushi Ant Bait Production Facility and the Vermicomposting Unit—demonstrates the strides we are making in agricultural research. It reflects the innovation, sustainability, and practicality that your government and the ministry are applying to improve farmers’ livelihoods,” Minister Ramkissoon stated.

He noted that farmers across Guyana, especially those cultivating cassava and citrus, have long suffered losses due to Acoushi ant infestations. “The commissioning today of this particular facility stands as a testimony of the Ministry of Agriculture’s commitment to ensure that ant bait is sufficient and available countrywide, as we seek to reduce crop losses caused by these invasions,” he affirmed.

The commissioning of these facilities marks another milestone in the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to modernise agriculture, enhance productivity, and create a cleaner, more resilient farming environment across Guyana.