–to serve as central hub for data, analysis on production, climate change patterns

SERVING as a central hub to store and analyse data on production and weather patterns, Guyana’s situation room is taking shape and being positioned to usher in a new era of smart agriculture.
On Tuesday, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha led a team comprising several senior technical officers and a delegation from the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) to a site visit of the Ministry of Agriculture’s soon-to-be-established situation room.
The project, in collaboration IICA, will also see data collection on flood risks, pests and diseases and other critical factors, enabling more proactive and coordinated responses.
According to a press release from the ministry, the visit marks a key step forward in advancing the project, which is being developed in collaboration with IICA to strengthen real-time monitoring, data analysis and rapid-response capabilities across Guyana’s agricultural sector.
The situation room initiative aligns directly with President, Dr Irfaan Ali’s call for the sector to embrace modern technology, data-driven decision-making and digital infrastructure as central pillars of Guyana’s agricultural transformation.
President Ali has repeatedly emphasised that technology, ranging from smart-monitoring systems to predictive analytics, must be integrated into every layer of the country’s food-production systems improving efficiency, enhancing resilience, and driving competitiveness.
Minister Mustapha noted that the collaboration with IICA continues to play a vital role in supporting Guyana’s transition to a smarter, technology-driven agricultural sector, and that the situation room will significantly elevate the country’s ability to safeguard production and support farmers nationwide.
The initiative of establishing a ‘situation room’ was first touted by President Ali, back in 2023.
Dr Ali, while addressing the 2023 regional Agriculture Investment Forum and Expo held in Guyana, had said in order for the Caribbean region to attain its regional food-security goals, innovation and digitisation will need to be pivotal factors.
Dr Ali, during that forum, proposed multiple initiatives to incorporate data and technology into its local food- production industry.

“We have recognised that technology gives us the opportunity to connect the farmers directly with extension officers instantaneously. And part of the innovative investment that we will make here is to create a proactive information sharing and response platform,” the President had said.
With the sector’s growth in mind, he had highlighted the importance of undertaking meticulous data analysis to ensure targeted investments are made to adequately support farmers.