The government of Guyana continues to expand its national shade house programme, with approximately 1,000 shade houses now in operation across the country, supporting the production and export of green leafy vegetables to local supermarkets and regional markets.
Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha highlighted this in an interview on Monday with the Department of Public Information (DPI), where he outlined the growth of the Agriculture Innovation Entrepreneurship Programme and its impact on young farmers and agricultural development.
According to the minister, the programme was initially conceptualised to target young people who graduated from the Guyana School of Agriculture and the University of Guyana and are now engaged in agricultural production.
He noted that the initiative has since expanded significantly nationwide.
Minister Mustapha said, “We have approximately 300 young people in that company presently and there are hundreds of shade houses across the country producing green leafy vegetables for both local consumption and export markets.”
He further explained that production systems such as those at Mon Repos are contributing to increased output, with 54 operational shade houses under the programme at that location alone. At the same time, many participants also operate independent shade houses across various regions.
Addressing the criteria used for selecting beneficiaries and linking them to support systems, the Minister highlighted the government’s focus on inclusion, particularly for women and vulnerable groups.
He stated, “We have a number of criteria that we use when selecting farmers, especially single parents and women, and we are ensuring that 35 percent of all projects include women and youth as part of our agricultural development strategy.”
Minister Mustapha also emphasised that the Ministry of Agriculture, through agencies such as the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), continues to provide technical assistance, planting materials, and infrastructure support to farmers involved in shade house production.
He added, “Every farmer can benefit from government support depending on the criteria, whether it is shade netting, plastic materials or technical assistance to establish and maintain their shade houses across the country.”
The minister noted that with continued investment and expansion, the shade house programme is strengthening food production systems, improving livelihoods, and enhancing Guyana’s capacity to supply both domestic and regional markets.
