Guyana’s first biotechnology plant tissue culture laboratory has been launched, marking a major step in the country’s drive toward modern, science-based agriculture. The $450 million facility, located at the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), is expected to increase annual plantlet production from 15,000 to over one million — a fiftyfold rise aimed at transforming local crop output.
Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, who commissioned the facility, called it a landmark achievement in Guyana’s ongoing journey toward agricultural modernisation, resilience, and innovation. He said the lab would play a key role in ensuring long-term food security. “I want to tell you, the farmers, you should be very excited here this morning—excited that we are moving to increase the number of plantlets that we have been producing annually by 50 times. Imagine that… one million plantlets,” he said.
The facility will produce clean, disease-free, and high-quality plant material for crops such as pineapple, citrus, plantain, breadfruit, sugarcane, and sweet potato, as well as exotic fruits including strawberries and blackberries. Mustapha said the innovation “will transform our agriculture sector” by providing farmers with reliable, high-yielding plants and strengthening the country’s food supply chain.
He added that the initiative would have broader economic benefits. “Over time, this increases the national supply of key crops such as plantains, pineapples, citrus, and root crops, which will strengthen domestic food security and sustain the local agro-processing industries, such as fruit processing, packaging, and export,” he said.
The minister noted that the lab will also enhance agricultural education by allowing students and researchers to gain hands-on experience in biotechnology and fieldwork.
Developed in collaboration with international partners and funded under the Sustainable Agricultural Development Programme, the laboratory highlights Guyana’s investment in innovation and sustainability.
“This facility is more than a building—it is a symbol of our government’s dedication to ensuring that Guyana remains a regional leader in sustainable agricultural development,” Mustapha said.
