Climate-smart innovation

Guyana’s agricultural sector continues to evolve through a series of targeted and transformative initiatives designed to enhance productivity, sustainability, and inclusivity. The latest development, the establishment of climate-smart tunnel houses for poultry production under the leadership of Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, represents a major step forward in the nation’s drive toward agricultural modernisation.
The project, conceptualised following a commitment made by President Dr Irfaan Ali during a meeting with young people at La Jalousie, signifies more than just an infrastructural investment. It embodies a new vision for farming, one that combines technological advancement with youth empowerment and economic sustainability. By introducing tunnel house technology to poultry farming, the Government is laying the groundwork for a more resilient, efficient, and climate-adaptive agricultural future.
The construction of the tunnel houses at the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) in Mon Repos marks a crucial milestone in this journey. These climate-smart facilities are specifically engineered to provide optimal conditions for poultry rearing, regardless of external environmental challenges.
Their design ensures consistent ventilation, temperature control, and biosecurity, all critical elements that can drastically reduce mortality rates and improve yield. In a country where poultry is a staple protein source and a key component of the domestic food supply chain, such innovation promises both food security and economic stability.
Equally significant is the collaborative financing model underpinning this initiative. With the total project valued at $50 million, the inclusion of youth co-funding to the tune of $10 million, complemented by $40 million in banking sector support at preferential interest rates, reflects a well-balanced public-private partnership framework.
This approach not only lessens dependency on Government financing but also instils a sense of ownership, accountability, and entrepreneurship among young participants. It underscores the administration’s belief that sustainable agriculture must be both economically viable and generationally inclusive.
The establishment of the five-acre poultry farm at Mon Repos will set the stage for large-scale, high-efficiency poultry production capable of yielding approximately 45,000 chickens per batch. Beyond its immediate economic implications, the project represents an important policy statement: that the future of Guyana’s agriculture rests on the adoption of modern technology and climate-resilient systems.
Traditional methods, while valuable for their cultural and community-based relevance, can no longer single-handedly sustain the demands of a growing population, rising food costs, and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns.
The integration of tunnel house technology into local agriculture also aligns with global best practices in sustainable food production. Across Asia, Europe, and Latin America, similar systems have been successfully deployed to reduce resource wastage, enhance disease control, and ensure year-round productivity. For Guyana, the transition toward such models could establish the nation as a regional leader in modern agritech applications, especially within CARICOM, where food security remains a shared strategic priority.
Equally important is the project’s focus on youth involvement. Encouraging young people to actively participate in agribusiness represents a deliberate effort to reshape perceptions of the agricultural sector. For too long, farming has been viewed primarily through a traditional lens, often associated with labour-intensive, low-profit activities.
By integrating advanced technology, Government incentives, and financial inclusion, the initiative reframes agriculture as a dynamic, profitable, and innovation-driven career path. This, in turn, could help address the challenge of rural youth unemployment while fostering a new generation of agri-entrepreneurs equipped to sustain and expand the country’s food production base.
Moreover, the tunnel house project serves as a pilot model with potential for replication across multiple regions. Once the eight facilities at Mon Repos become operational, expected by the end of the first quarter of 2026, the outcomes will likely inform future agricultural strategies. The model’s success could pave the way for expansion into other areas such as aquaculture, livestock breeding, and horticulture, reinforcing Guyana’s broader goal of achieving food self-sufficiency and export competitiveness.
The Government’s investment in climate-smart agriculture demonstrates an alignment with its long-term development agenda under the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS). It exemplifies how innovation, when combined with inclusivity and sound financial planning, can transform challenges into opportunities.
In essence, the tunnel house poultry initiative reflects the convergence of policy, technology, and youth empowerment, a triad that defines modern agricultural progress. It is an initiative that not only strengthens the nation’s food systems but also cultivates a new era of thinkers, innovators, and producers capable of sustaining Guyana’s growth trajectory.
As the project advances toward full implementation, it stands as an example of what is possible when vision meets collaborative action.