Agri Ministry promises that extension officers will receive updated training from GSA

The Agriculture Ministry, in an effort to revamp the operations of the extension arm of its
agencies, will, in 2022, introduce a curriculum designed to improve the effectiveness of its
extension officers.
It was noted that through the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA), extension officers attached to
the ministry will receive training on how to properly carry out their functions to better cater to
the needs of the nation’s farmers. This disclosure was made by Agriculture Minister Zulfikar
Mustapha. He uttered this during a commissioning exercise at the New Guyana Marketing
Corporation’s (New GCM) Central Packaging Facility at the Sophia Exhibition Center last
Wednesday.
Mustapha admitted that since taking office, the government has been working to improve the
services being offered to the farmers and agro-processors across the country. He added that
officials from the Ministry and the Guyana School of Agriculture have been advised to develop a
curriculum offering additional training to the ministry’s extension officers. “Our senior officers
were already informed and very soon they will commence working on a curriculum to offer
training to our extension officers. This programme should be ready before mid-next year.
Extension officers will be able to receive training through the GSA to improve the services
offered to our farmers and agro-processors. This is one of the steps we are taking to revamp the
sector so that quality service can be delivered. Agriculture is once again at the forefront of our
economy and we have to ensure that our extension personnel are well equipped and informed on
how to deliver the caliber of services that were promised to citizens during our 2020 elections
campaign trail,” Mustapha said.
The minister stressed that he has been meeting with farmers across the country. He said they
aired concerns about the quality of services being offered by the extension arm of several
agencies, which form part of the ministry. He noted that after receiving similar complaints at a
number of outreaches, he promised that the entire extension arm of the ministry would soon be
revamped. Mustapha also said that extension officers who were not willing to work to execute
the mandate of the present government will be relieved of their services. He noted regarding the
courses that will be offered to the extension officers, the agri Minister said that the curriculum
will serve as both a refresher course. He said further that it will teach officers about updated
methods of services as Guyana moves towards more technologically advanced approaches to
doing agriculture. The courses are expected to include best practices for proper animal
husbandry, artificial insemination techniques, shadehouse development, ‘six-point’ method for
rice cultivation, post-harvest handling of perishable produce, and smart agriculture practices just
to name a few.