$1.27 B to diversify production budgeted for NAREI

The Agriculture Ministry’s extension services will be restructured to better serve Guyanese
agriculturists nationwide, this year.
According to the government, they plan to further digitise agriculture services and strengthen
laboratory equipment, as it continues to promote climate-smart agriculture and input supply
distribution to farmers. As such, Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha stressed that the
National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) will receive $1.27B to stimulate
its production base and ensure Guyana’s food is safe.
Mustapha noted that the gap between research and extension will be bridged to ensure
innovative technologies reach farmers for them to modernise their agricultural activities,
increasing production and revenues. “Work has already commenced that will see a number of
farmers in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six and 10 benefitting from several technology
packages that will guide their farming activities,” Mustapha said.
He continued, “In order for our government to deliver efficient and effective service and
implement impacting policies, there is need for updated agriculture data. As such, in 2022 an
agriculture survey will be conducted in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six and Ten.”  He
pointed out that farmers will continue to benefit from planting equipment and materials through
assistance from NAREI’s Rural Agricultural and Infrastructure Development Project.
The agri minister said that planting materials and other supplies valued up to $100,000 each,
were distributed to about 300 farmers in all administrative regions last year. He stressed further
that Government wants the same assistance to be given to over 100 farmers across the 10
administrative regions in 2022. Mustapha noted that the administration continues to promote
agri-entrepreneurship. Approximately 4,000 individuals in Regions One and Nine will benefit
from assistance in developing business plans under the Hinterland Environmentally Sustainable
Agricultural Development (HESAD).
Therefore, 35 public investments are expected to be completed in 2022. These investments, he
noted include: access to farmlands, transportation and storage for farm products. “There will
also be investments in the School Feeding Programme kitchens as we seek to improve the
services and the operations to better the nutritional health of the school age population. These
public collective Investments within Communities of Regions One and Nine will benefit some
3,000 individuals,” Mustapha declared.
He noted that over 200 shade houses will be constructed, as part of the wider holistic plan for
2022. Minister Mustapha pointed out that last year saw the construction of 150 shade houses,
with NAREI’s provision of materials at subsidised costs, designs and technical support. He
added that with the implementation of these measures, the other crops sub-sector is expected to
recover and experience substantial growth in 2022.