Agri Min Tours New Biotechnology Plant Tissue Laboratory

January 19 2025

Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, recently visited the Ministry’s biotechnology plant tissue laboratory located within the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) compound at Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, where he examined ongoing work aimed at strengthening agricultural production.

During the visit, Minister Mustapha engaged with laboratory technicians and observed the process of dividing plant cuttings to develop plantlets. The state-of-the-art facility, developed at a cost of approximately $450 million, is designed to supply clean, disease-free and high-quality planting material to farmers and researchers across the country.

The minister noted that the laboratory is aligned with the government’s broader vision to modernise and expand the agriculture sector. He explained that the facility is expected to produce approximately one million plantlets by the end of the year, significantly boosting crop productivity and sustainability.

The laboratory was developed through a collaboration between the Government of Guyana and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) of India, with financing provided by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) under the Sustainable Agricultural Development Program (SADP).

According to officials, the facility will produce clean, high-yielding, disease-free planting material for a wide range of crops, including pineapple, citrus, plantain, sweet potato, breadfruit, sugarcane, as well as exotic fruits such as strawberries and blackberries.

Minister Mustapha was accompanied by Director General Dhaneshwar Deonarine, NAREI Chief Executive Officer Jagnarine Singh, and other technical officers during the tour.