Unfamiliar crop now emerging opportunity

Nine months ago, dragon fruit cultivation was an unfamiliar prospect for many farmers along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway. Today, the blossoms appearing across newly established fields are providing tangible evidence that agricultural innovation can take root when farmers are supported with knowledge, resources, and sustained technical guidance.
The early progress of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Dragon Fruit Pilot Initiative deserves recognition, because it demonstrates a practical approach to agricultural diversification and rural development.
Implemented under the Sustainable Land Development and Management (SLDM) Project by the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission, with support from the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), and funded through the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF), the initiative has provided participating farmers with dragon fruit plants, fertiliser, trellises, training, and continuing technical assistance.
Such support is important, because introducing a new crop involves considerably more than placing seedlings in the ground. Farmers have had to prepare their fields, establish trellises, train the plants to climb, manage irrigation, monitor plant health, and learn how to identify and address diseases. The experience demonstrates that agricultural innovation is most effective when investment in inputs is matched by investment in knowledge.
The progress reported by participating farmers is particularly encouraging. William Adams, who began cultivating dragon fruit for the first time, has already started expanding his farm after seeing the crop reach production. The experience of the Lakna sisters similarly illustrates how close observation, practical learning, and a willingness to adapt can influence farming decisions. Muhammed Haroon, meanwhile, described the appearance of his first flower as confirmation that the crop could develop into a viable business.
These experiences point to an important principle for Guyana’s agricultural sector, that is, diversification can create new pathways for farmers while reducing reliance on a narrow range of traditional crops.
Dragon fruit is especially interesting because of its potential to serve emerging markets while offering farmers another source of income. However, the long-term value of the crop will depend on sound production practices, market development, quality control, reliable supply chains and continued research. Early success should therefore be viewed as a foundation upon which a sustainable industry can be built.
The return of FAO international dragon fruit expert Nguyen Van Son to Guyana further strengthens the initiative. Continued field-level mentoring allows farmers to address challenges as they emerge and refine cultivation practices based on local experience. This type of technical support can make the difference between introducing an unfamiliar crop and establishing a commercially sustainable one.
The decision to expand the initiative to St Cuthbert’s Mission is another positive development. As it will be providing Community Service Officers with hands-on experience in dragon fruit cultivation, it can help extend agricultural knowledge beyond the initial pilot communities while creating possibilities for future livelihood development. The expansion also demonstrates the value of using successful pilot projects as platforms for broader capacity-building.
The initiative carries a significance for Guyana’s agricultural policy, as climate variability, changing markets and the need to strengthen rural livelihoods require greater attention to resilient and diversified production systems. New crops will not replace established agricultural activities but can complement them and provide farmers with additional opportunities.
The experience also reinforces the importance of partnerships with Government agencies, international organisations, technical experts and farmers, each of whom have distinct roles to play. When these roles are coordinated, farmers are better positioned to test new ideas, overcome challenges and translate innovation into productive enterprises.
The dragon fruit blossoms, therefore, are evidence of what can emerge when farmers are willing to experiment and when practical support is sustained throughout the process.
Guyana has significant potential to expand its agricultural base through innovation, technology, training, and improved market access. The dragon fruit pilot provides a useful example of that potential being explored in practical terms.
What began as an unfamiliar crop is now becoming an emerging agricultural opportunity.