Nineteen Guyanese and St. Lucians are now certified in Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) after participating in a four-day training exercise.
The initiative was a collaborative effort between Environmental Management Consultants (EMC), the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), and the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA), with funding provided by the ExxonMobil Foundation under the Climate Resilience Grant.
Participants included farmers from across the country, students from the Agriculture Innovative and Entrepreneurship Programme (AIEP), representatives from GSA, and trainees from St. Lucia.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony on Friday, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha stated that, in the face of growing climate-related challenges, the agriculture sector is under increasing pressure to produce more food with fewer environmental impacts.
He noted that the training programme represented a step toward modernising local farming techniques.
The training, which marked a significant milestone for the participants, featured both theoretical and practical sessions across eight modules. These covered shade house design and construction, crop cultivation and management, pest and disease control, and post-harvest handling and storage.
In a related initiative, persons living with disabilities in Region Seven recently had the opportunity to build valuable skills through a hands-on training course in sustainable agriculture.
The 22 participants are now equipped with knowledge in key areas, including farming business and marketing, sustainable pest and disease management, vertical and urban gardening, cultural practices, harvesting techniques, and crop production—with a focus on sweet potatoes, kale, and leafy vegetables.
This programme was executed through the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security’s Support Services for Persons with Disabilities Unit (SSPDU).
