GUYANA’S agriculture sector is undergoing significant expansion as the country seeks to strengthen domestic food security while playing a greater role in reducing the Caribbean’s dependence on imported food, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha said at the launch of Agriculture Month 2026.
Held under the theme “Innovate, Nourish, Grow: Building a Strong and Sustainable Guyana,” Agriculture Month will focus on increasing production, embracing technology, supporting farmers and agro-processors, and creating greater opportunities for women and young people in the sector.
The initiative comes as Guyana continues to support the regional objective of reducing the Caribbean’s food import bill by 25 per cent by 2030.
Food security encompasses the ability to produce, process, store, distribute and afford sufficient food to meet the needs of the population, including during periods of crisis or disruption.
Mustapha said Guyana’s progress in agriculture is reflected in measurable increases in production and investment across several subsectors.
Production of the 15 Caribbean priority commodities reached approximately 1.8 million tonnes in 2025, compared with 1.41 million tonnes in 2020, while livestock, aquaculture and agro-processing have also recorded expansion.
The Minister said the next phase of agricultural development must focus on innovation and the use of technology and data to improve decision-making, production efficiency, market access and affordability.
He pointed to precision irrigation and the growing use of a farmers’ application as examples of how technology is being incorporated into the sector.
“Guyana is growing and the agriculture sector is growing with increased opportunities, job creation, increased productivity, the empowerment of women, and more youth being drawn into agriculture, and stronger rural communities being built,” Mustapha said.
He also highlighted the increased participation of women and young people in agriculture, noting that a mandate requiring Ministry of Agriculture projects to include at least 35 per cent women and youth has been exceeded.
According to Mustapha, women account for a particularly large proportion of participants in the agro-processing sector, which now produces more than 4,000 products.
The Minister said the expansion of agro-processing demonstrates the increasing opportunities for value-added production and entrepreneurship beyond primary agriculture.
Investment in the sector has also increased substantially, with the national agriculture budget rising from approximately $18.4 billion in 2020 to $113.2 billion in 2026.
Mustapha said agriculture recorded 11.5 per cent growth in 2025, underscoring its contribution to economic diversification and long-term development.
Rice production, he added, increased from approximately 500,000 tonnes in 2020 to 810,000 tonnes in 2025.
At the same time, efforts are continuing to modernise and diversify the sugar industry, expand aquaculture and livestock production, and strengthen agro-processing.
The Minister said the transformation of agriculture must also take into account climate change, evolving farming practices, changing consumer preferences, technological advances and global disruptions that can affect food supplies and prices.
He said these factors make innovation and resilience increasingly important to the future of the sector.
Agriculture Month 2026 will provide opportunities for consumers, farmers, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders to engage directly with the sector through a series of activities, including farmers’ markets, the inaugural Farmers’ Conference, HoneyFest and World Food Day observances.
The first farmers’ market will be held every Wednesday in Sophia, providing consumers with an opportunity to purchase agricultural products directly from farmers at lower prices.
Mustapha said the month’s activities should serve as a reminder of the importance of agriculture to national development and Guyana’s role in regional food and nutrition security.
“As we launch Agriculture Month 2026, let us reaffirm our commitment to building an agriculture sector that is innovative, resilient, competitive and inclusive,” he said.
He said the sector must continue to feed the nation, create prosperity for producers, strengthen communities and reinforce Guyana’s contribution to regional food security.