PRESIDENT of STARR Computer and businessman Mike Mohan has underscored the importance of hydroponics and technology-driven agriculture as vital tools for Guyana’s future, telling secondary school students that innovation and entrepreneurship will play a central role in building the country’s next generation of leaders.
Mohan made the remarks during a recent engagement with students at the STARR Computer showroom on Brickdam, Georgetown, where he addressed young people on the growing opportunities emerging from the intersection of agriculture, technology and business.
Speaking in support of the state-of-the-art Agriculture and Innovation Entrepreneurship Programme (AIEP) hydroponic farm at Fort Wellington, West Coast Berbice, Mohan described the initiative as a powerful symbol of Guyana’s advancing agricultural transformation.
“This project demonstrates what’s possible when we combine technology, investment and young talent to create a resilient agricultural sector,” Mohan said, while praising the hydroponic initiative as a practical example of how modern farming can drive national development.
The AIEP hydroponic project, officially launched during the 2023 Agri-Investment Forum and Expo, was designed to promote high-tech, sustainable agriculture while encouraging greater youth participation in agribusiness.
With Guyana placing increasing emphasis on food security, diversification and innovation, hydroponics has emerged as one of the most promising methods of producing crops efficiently while using less land and water than conventional farming.
The Fort Wellington facility is expected to serve not only as a production site but also as a training hub for emerging agri-entrepreneurs.
The hydroponic farm is also expected to become a regional model for modern agriculture across the Caribbean, contributing to national and regional food security efforts while exposing young Guyanese to new career paths in agribusiness.
Mohan’s engagement with students forms part of a broader effort to connect young people with emerging industries and entrepreneurial opportunities.
Students from five secondary schools are scheduled to participate: New Carmel Secondary, West Ruimveldt Secondary, Houston Secondary, Richard Ishmael Secondary and Christ Church Secondary.
The almost 80 students, aged 15 to 16 and drawn from Grade 10, represent a key stage in their academic development, the year immediately before their final secondary school year.
By exposing students to innovation in agriculture at this stage, Mohan said, the aim is to broaden their understanding of the industries shaping Guyana’s future and inspire them to see entrepreneurship not as a distant ambition, but as a real and attainable pathway.
