Guyana has offered 10 full scholarships to Belizean agriculture students to study at the Guyana School of Agriculture, as the two CARICOM countries deepen cooperation aimed at reducing regional food imports by 2030.
The announcement was made by Agriculture Minister and Chairman of the Ministerial Taskforce, Zulfikar Mustapha, during the opening of Belize’s National Agriculture and Trade Show 2026.
Mustapha said Belize has emerged as one of the leading countries implementing the Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) food import reduction initiative, with programmes targeting small farmers and investments in key agricultural commodities.
“With a national target of over 2.2 million tonnes in food import replacement by 2030, Belize stands at the forefront of regional efforts,” the minister said.
He added that Belize’s classification as a country achieving full implementation following regional assessments reflected both commitment and effective execution of agricultural policies and programmes.
The two CARICOM countries are seeking to strengthen collaboration in areas including technology transfer, climate-smart agriculture, agro-processing, livestock development and fisheries, as part of broader regional efforts to reduce dependence on imported food.
Highlighting the need for more trained agricultural professionals, Mustapha said Guyana was prepared to support regional capacity building through education and technical assistance.
“We are working with many countries in the Caribbean to give them scholarships to help their country technically and here I offer to you my brother from Belize 10 full time scholarships to the Guyana School of Agriculture so that we can help your young people.”
Mustapha said graduates trained in the sector were already demonstrating innovation and leadership across the Caribbean, adding that investment in human capital would be critical to achieving the region’s 2030 food security goals.
