AGRICULTURE Minister Zulfikar Mustapha on Saturday encouraged farmers on the Essequibo Coast to expand and diversify their agricultural operations, assuring them that the government will continue to invest in programmes and initiatives designed to lower production costs, improve market access, and create greater opportunities for growth within the sector.

The Minister made these remarks during an engagement with farmers and residents at Anna Regina while in Region Two for the two-day Cabinet outreach being led by His Excellency, President Dr. Irfaan Ali.

During the engagement, Minister Mustapha said that over the last five years, the government has made unprecedented investments in agriculture, with billions of dollars being injected into drainage and irrigation, farm-to-market roads, extension services, and support programmes to ensure that farmers are better positioned to increase production and improve their incomes.

The minister further highlighted the government’s focus on attracting young people to agriculture, noting that ensuring generational renewal within the sector is critical to its long-term sustainability.

He pointed to initiatives such as the Agriculture and Innovation Entrepreneurship Programme (AIEP) and President Ali’s Tunnel Ventilated Poultry Project, describing them as transformative initiatives designed to create opportunities for young people to participate in large-scale, technology-driven agriculture. (MoA)