NEW AMSTERDAM, Berbice — October 14, 2026
The minister delivering the feature address at the Guyana School of Agriculture's 2026 graduation told the new graduates that their classroom learning must now be put to work on farms, helping farmers cut production costs, improve quality and raise yields.
Speaking on behalf of the President and the Ministry of Agriculture, the minister said many graduates will work as extension officers and must show farmers practical ways to improve, not simply offer theory. He said the future of agriculture will be driven by science, technology, innovation, entrepreneurship and data.
He said this year more than $44 million was invested at the school's livestock farm, including a new training centre and office valued at about $21.8 million. The first graduates of the certificate in livestock production and management programme were recognised at the ceremony. The school has also been re-registered with the National Accreditation Council of Guyana until June 2029.
The minister said a tissue culture lab is now producing planting material, and within six months it is expected to turn out about one million plants a year for farmers. He said the President will commission a situation room and data centre at the Ministry of Agriculture by the end of this month, and a tender for a centre of excellence at the school will go out before the end of the year.
On food production, he said Guyana imported $2.6 billion in high-value crops such as broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce and bell pepper in 2022, mainly for the hospitality and oil and gas sectors. He said that has been reduced by almost 90 percent through local farms and the shade house programme. He added that demand keeps rising and production must grow further to supply the local market and export.
The minister noted that 65 of the graduates are women, and said agriculture can no longer be seen as male dominated. He urged young graduates not to wait for jobs but to start farms, agro-processing businesses and services, and pointed to financing through commercial banks and the Guyana Development Bank, launched last year.
Twelve graduates from Grenada, St. Lucia and Jamaica were also recognised. The minister said Guyana, as chair of the CARICOM ministerial task force on food production and food security, is working to help cut the region's food import bill, in line with the target of a 25 percent reduction.
He said the government is building a silo in Region Two and high-level canals in Regions Three, Five and Six. He told the graduates to respect farmers' experience, keep learning and treat their certificates as the start of their responsibility to the sector.
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By LRTVS NewsWatch · Channel 10. This report first aired on LRTVS NewsWatch.
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