Guyana building new regional ‘agri-tech’ campus – President Ali

By Vishani Ragobeer
Vishani@newsroom.gy

President Dr. Irfaan Ali has announced that a new regional agriculture technology campus will be built in Guyana as part of plans to leverage technology to increase food production.

The President made this announcement during a reception held at the Pegasus Suites in Kingston, Georgetown, on Thursday night to commemorate India’s Republic Day.

During a presentation centered on growing Guyana/ India relations, the Guyanese Head of State posited that the South-Asian nation has established itself as a dominant agriculture powerhouse – whose example and best practices Guyana can learn from.

And speaking just days after his one-week official visit to India, President Ali said that there were talks between Guyanese stakeholders and those in Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore) on tapping into their technological developments.

Out of those discussions, he said, emerged a plan to create a new technology centre that will support local and regional food production plants.

“They will be working with us in building out, not a Guyana (campus), but a regional agri tech campus right here that will support our regional food hub,” President Ali highlighted.

Through this campus, technology and research will be used to help grow more “high value” crops, Dr. Ali said further.

And alongside other efforts to boost local and regional food security efforts, Dr. Ali believes that the Indian support will allow the agricultural sector to become more competitive and resilient.

“The region that is growing the fastest in terms of food insecurity and the most food insecure region is going to be Latin America and the Caribbean.

“We cannot wait until a full-blown crisis hits us.

“We have to create a policy environment and ecosystem to help us withstand this and there is where India, as a bilateral partner, presents a remarkable opportunity,” he said, explaining the impetus underpinning the deepening India relationship in agriculture.