$1B poultry pen project targets higher production, attracts more youths to agriculture 

The Government of Guyana on Wednesday commissioned a $1 billion tunnel-ventilated poultry pens project, an initiative that embraces modern technology to enhance production efficiency while improving flock health and overall performance.
The Tunnel-Ventilated Pens Project represents an investment in infrastructure, equipment, and training-and forms part of the Government’s flagship Agriculture Innovation and Entrepreneurship Programme (AIEP).
It was officially commissioned by Prime Minister (PM) Brig (Ret’d) Mark Phillips at the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) facility at Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara (ECD).
The project comprises five state-of-the-art poultry facilities located at Mon Repos, Cornelia Ida (West Bank Demerara), and Onverwagt (Region Five), all of which have been completed and are currently stocked with birds that are performing exceptionally well.
Designed to international poultry production standards, each tunnel-ventilated pen accommodates between 20,000 and 45,000 birds, with broilers reaching market weight in just five to six weeks.
PM Phillips during his address related that the project forms part of the Government’s vision for the future of the country’s agriculture sector, driven by innovation, resilience, and technology.

“We have developed a vision of what we want for agriculture here in Guyana. Ours is a vision of where technology is harnessed to shield farmers from the whims of the weather, where local production of inputs frees them from the volatility of global markets, and where value-added processing ensures that their produce does not perish but instead reaches consumers with quality and consistency,” PM Phillips related.
The PM further explained that the tunnel-ventilated poultry project forms part of a broader national strategy to modernise agriculture through innovation and investment, ensuring greater resilience across the sector.
“This tunnel pen project is not an isolated initiative. It is part of our comprehensive strategy to modernise agriculture, build resilience, and eventually create a technologically advanced sector to ensure that no farmer goes to bed wondering if tomorrow will bring ruin.”
He also reaffirmed the Government’s long-term ambition of positioning Guyana as the Caribbean’s leading food producer, noting that continued investments in agriculture are laying the foundation for sustained economic growth and regional leadership.
“Our vision for agriculture over the next five years is aimed at cementing Guyana’s status as the food-producing capital of the Caribbean. Building on the solid foundations laid since 2020, we’re fashioning a sector that is not only a major anchor of the non-oil economy but also a dynamic engine for national prosperity, food security, and regional leadership,” he said.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha explained that the project is another demonstration of the Government’s long-term vision for transforming agriculture into a modern, technology-driven sector.
“Under the visionary leadership of His Excellency Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, Guyana is transitioning from a country that grows food to a nation that designs and manages modern agricultural ecosystems. We are positioning our livestock sector to be efficient, sustainable, and able to scale to levels never before seen in CARICOM,” Minister Mustapha said.
According to Mustapha, the livestock industry has evolved from a small-scale activity into a more strategic, Government-supported sector that focuses on food security and breed improvement.
“Between 2020 and 2025, poultry production in Guyana exploded from 43,736 tonnes to 91,382 tonnes, marking a remarkable 108.9 per cent increase. We are no longer trying to catch up. We are leading the CARICOM 25 by 2025 + 5 Initiative, driving down the regional food import bill and building a stronger, more self-reliant Caribbean,” he said. The commissioning of the tunnel-ventilated poultry facilities, Mustapha stated, represents tangible evidence of the Government’s investment in youth, innovation, and agricultural development.
“This commissioning ceremony of the Tunnel Ventilated Pen Project, under our flagship Agriculture Innovation and Entrepreneurship Programme, is the living, breathing proof of that reality. It is a testament to what happens when political vision meets youthful energy and when public investment catalyses private innovation,” he stated.