- facility to produce 1 million plantlets annually
Guyana’s agricultural sector reached another historic milestone with the commissioning of the country’s first Biotechnology Plant Tissue Culture Laboratory, a state-of-the-art facility valued at approximately $450 million.
Developed through a partnership between the Government of Guyana and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) of India, and financed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) under the Sustainable Agricultural Development Program (SADP), this new laboratory marks a transformative step in the nation’s agricultural modernization agenda.
The facility, located at the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), is equipped to produce over one million plantlets per year, compared to the previous capacity of just 15,000. It will supply clean, high-yielding, disease-free planting materials for a wide range of crops, including pineapple, citrus, plantain, sweet potato, breadfruit, sugarcane, and even exotic fruits such as strawberries and blackberries.
Delivering the feature address, Agriculture Minister, Hon. Zulfikar Mustapha, described the commissioning as a landmark moment in Guyana’s agricultural transformation journey.
“Today marks another proud milestone in Guyana’s agricultural transformation journey, the commissioning of our new Tissue Culture Laboratory, a facility that truly represents the spirit of partnership, progress, and people-centered development. It is a key part of our government’s broader strategy to promote sustainable agricultural development across Guyana. This Government has consistently prioritized agriculture, recognizing it as a cornerstone of our non-oil economy,” Minister Mustapha said.
The Minister emphasized that the laboratory will directly strengthen food security and catalyze growth within Guyana’s expanding agro-processing industry.
“Over time, this increases the national supply of key crops such as plantains, pineapples, citrus, and root crops, which will strengthen domestic food security and sustain the local agro-processing industries, such as fruit processing, packaging, and export. This creates a direct link between research and industry, enabling year-round production and a stable supply chain for processors. The expansion of value-added industries will, in turn, increase export earnings and attract private investment into modern agriculture,” he explained.
Minister Mustapha further underscored the importance of science and technology in addressing modern agricultural challenges.
“In an era marked by climate change, pests and diseases, market disruptions, and rising input costs, we must strengthen our ability to produce more and do so sustainably, affordably, and efficiently. This is where science must lead the way. This critical and transformational facility will see the production of high-quality plants that are disease-free and provide a scientific solution to some of the plant production challenges faced in Guyana. The impacts of this facility within Guyana’s agricultural sector are immense since this will now contribute to enhanced crop production, improved plant resilience, and support the diversification of crops in an already thriving industry,” Minister Mustapha noted.
Also speaking at the event, Dr. G.R.N. Rao, Director at The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), praised the collaboration between Guyana and India as an example of science-driven South–South cooperation.
“The collaboration between the Government of Guyana and TERI in the agriculture sector was initiated during the visit of the Honourable Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, to India in early 2023, through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). During this engagement, the establishment of a Plant Tissue Culture Laboratory was identified as a key priority. Plant Tissue Culture laboratories play a vital role in agricultural advancement by enabling the large-scale production of disease-free, high-quality plants through micropropagation. This technique allows for the rapid multiplication of uniform and desirable plant varieties, thereby contributing to food security, improved crop yields, and the development of climate-resilient crops,” Dr. Rao explained.
The commissioning of this biotechnology laboratory positions Guyana as a regional leader in agricultural innovation, aligning with the Government’s broader strategy to promote science-based, climate-smart, and value-added agriculture. The facility’s production capacity will not only enhance national food security but also ensure a reliable supply of high-quality planting material to support both smallholder farmers and the expanding agro-processing sector.
