E-agriculture will increase youth involvement – Sport Director

The introduction of technological advancements in Guyana’s agricultural sector will result in increased involvement of youths in the field.
These sentiments were shared by the Director of Sport, Christopher Jones during Guyana’s second Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) robotics exhibition, where he noted that this and other sectors would be left behind unless Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is introduced.
Jones related that many from the younger generations have a stereotypical view that agriculture entailed long hours in the sun. However, many countries have sourced drones and other devices to perform the work of tools in a shorter amount of time. According to him, if Guyana can produce such facilities, youths will be more inclined to join the field.
“IT is here to stay and unless we start to develop our kids at a tender age, businesses in Guyana will be left behind. When young people hear about agriculture, there’s this mental picture that comes to mind that you see someone with a fork and under the blazing hot sun, but when you show them the new technologies in agriculture in which you can simply use your smartphones to fly a drone over your field or to irrigate or fertilise the fields, it becomes interesting,” he said.
“It could be applied here in Guyana, because, as you know, we have land that we can plant but it’s to get the young people back into the agricultural fields,” the Director added.
During an encounter with students of Region One (Barima-Waini), questions were posed on when would IT hubs be established to support this initiative.
Jones reiterated that while this would aid in the advancement in the sector, a 24-hour electrical supply was needed, but residents only receive nine hours of electricity on a daily basis. However, when the first solar farm is completed, the youths will be gifted with IT hubs.
“IT hubs are needed with consistent electricity. Places like Mabaruma for example which currently enjoys nine hours of electricity, soon to come on stream is the solar farm that is there in Mabaruma. Once that comes on stream, it will add additional hours of electricity to folks in Mabaruma, and thereafter IT hubs can be established for those children,” Jones stated.