–agriculture minister says as thousands access training, support from IDB programme

WITH thousands of farmers and extension officers accessing training in modern agriculture techniques, Guyana is not only advancing its food production systems but also empowering its citizens.
This is according to Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, who, on Wednesday, delivered remarks at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)-funded Sustainable Agricultural Development Programme (SADP) Project Completion Exit Workshop at the World Trade Center in Georgetown.

Under the SADP, over 200 extension officers were trained to provide hands-on technical support to farmers, while more than 6,000 farmers received training in modern agriculture techniques.
The objectives of the workshop were to assess the project’s results in alignment with its development objectives; identify key successes, innovations, challenges, and sustainability considerations that emerged during implementation; and distill lessons learned to inform the design and execution of future projects.
While addressing participants, Minister Mustapha said that the programme represented a key partnership between the Government of Guyana and the Inter-American Development Bank, working together for the benefit of the people.
He also noted that the SADP clearly achieved its objectives of assisting farmers to enhance productivity and improve their livelihoods, while also strengthening Guyana’s agricultural institutions and modernising the systems that guide the sector.
“Our farmers are learning, adapting, and progressing using modern techniques and technologies to grow more, waste less, and build a system like never before. Our extension officers are better trained to guide them in the field, ensuring that these investments translate into real improvements for families across the country,” the agriculture minister said.

Meanwhile, IDB Country Representative, Ms. Lorena Solórzano-Salazar, said the project was fully aligned with the government’s vision for the agriculture sector and was one of the most successful the Bank has funded in the country.
Several technical officers from agencies such as NAREI, GLDA, Hope Estate, the Fisheries Department, the Guyana Food Safety Authority, and other agencies under the ministry’s umbrella participated in the workshop.
In March 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture received equipment valued at $150 million through the SADP to strengthen the ministry’s extension services to small- and medium-scale farmers in Regions Two to Six and Ten. Similarly, in August of that year, thirty small- and medium-scale farmers from Region Four (Demerara–Mahaica) received inputs worth $3.3 million through the project.
Under Component Two of the project’s funding was also allocated to strengthen the ministry’s extension system, including the training of both staff and farmers, as well as the establishment of research and demonstration plots.