By Delicia Janneire | November 10, 2024
A $14-million model farm was commissioned at Talorgie, Corentyne, Berbice, by Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha over the weekend, marking another step forward in the drive for sustainable agriculture in Guyana.
The initiative, funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) under the Ministry’s Sustainable Agriculture Development Project (SADP), is the fourth of its kind in the country and the second in Berbice.
The model farm features several state-of-the-art facilities, including a storage room, shade house, cattle pen, compost house, small ruminants pen, Black Giant pen, swine pens, and demonstration plots for orchards and high-value crops like bell peppers.
Minister Mustapha highlighted the farm’s potential as a hub for education and training, emphasizing its importance in fostering innovation and sustainability within the agricultural sector.
He noted that the facility is designed to attract farmers and school children, offering hands-on learning opportunities about new and diverse crops cultivated in the country.
The minister also underscored the government’s ongoing efforts to make agriculture appealing to young people by investing in advanced farming infrastructure and training programs.
He assured that the model farm would serve as a training center for farmers in Region Six, promoting the adoption of best practices and resilient farming systems.
This initiative aligns with the government’s broader goal of reducing the Caribbean food import bill by 25% by 2025 while ensuring the continued modernization and development of Guyana’s agriculture sector.