Pres Ali urges young people to embrace agriculture as high-tech industry

President Dr Irfaan Ali has urged young people to view agriculture as a modern, technology-driven industry with opportunities for entrepreneurship, innovation and investment.
In his Agriculture Month 2026 message, Ali said Guyana’s transformation of the agriculture sector would require greater participation from a new generation, particularly as technology and innovation become increasingly important to food production.
He said young people should view agriculture beyond traditional farming, with artificial intelligence, precision agriculture, improved genetics, data-driven production systems and other technologies expected to play a growing role in the sector.
Ali said Government is encouraging partnerships and consortiums involving the private sector, young people and women to take advantage of emerging opportunities across agriculture.
According to the President, technology, science, data and enterprise will increasingly determine how efficiently and profitably food is produced.
He said the Government is also investing in modern agricultural systems, including precision farming, digital extension services, hydroponics, protected agriculture and modern poultry systems.
Ali said these investments are intended to create opportunities for people involved in producing, innovating and investing in food systems.
He also pointed to the planned Guyana Development Bank, which he said will provide additional access to capital for small-scale food producers and agro-processors.
The President said young people should be encouraged to see agriculture as an industry of the future and that Government must continue creating opportunities for them to participate in the sector.
He also linked greater youth participation in agriculture to the development of the wider agricultural value chain, including processing, logistics, storage and marketing.
Ali said the broader objective is to establish an agricultural sector that is more productive, sustainable and inclusive while creating opportunities for the next generation.
Agriculture Month 2026 is being observed under the theme “Innovate, Nourish, Grow: Building a Strong and Sustainable Guyana.”