Guyana now has 3,000 items being produced through agro-processing programmes and according to Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, the establishment of agricultural programmes provides more career opportunities for students.
An open day event at the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara on Tuesday, made it possible for students at secondary and tertiary levels to have first-hand exposure to the work done at the research institute and interact with the Minister and Minister within the Ministry, Vickash Ramskissoon.
Mustapha implored the students to explore the many opportunities within the sector and reminded that agriculture is not for farming only.
“Agriculture has a great career, if you’re an agronomist, you can earn a lot of money, you can be independent, a 60 by 90 shadehouse can give you earning of approximately $8 million annually.
“We are moving away from the primary forms of agriculture. As a farmer if you grow guava or you grow cherry, we don’t want you to just take the guava or cherry to the market, we want you to go to these agro-processing facilities and process it, make cherry juice so that we can export it,” the minister said.
Minister Mustapha told the students that his ministry will open its facilities to schools for them to explore and better understand the sector to make informed career choices.
“When you come out as agriculturists, when you come out as agronomists, and you match your skills with your learning, then our country will develop.
“We want you to walk around, ask questions, look at the facilities and see what you want to develop your career. You are the future leaders of this country, you are the people responsible to take us into the future,” the minister said.
As of 2020, the agriculture sector has undergone significant changes with massive investments to promote economic growth. Further investments in tertiary education have also boosted the nation’s ability to produce well-rounded citizens with the ability to respond to sectoral needs.
The Agriculture Innovative and Entrepreneurship Programme (AIEP) makes it possible for agro-processors to earn significantly from their work.
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