Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha along with a team from ExxonMobil Guyana conducted a visit to the construction site for the AIEP Hydroponic Farm at Fort Wellington, West Coast Berbice.
While engaging representatives from the Oil and Gas Company, Minister Mustapha said that the facility forms part of the government’s efforts reduce the regional food import bill, produce quality high-value crops and have more young people involved in agriculture.
He also disclosed that the Fort Wellington facility is expected to become fully operational in another two months and that construction of the other two facilities are on schedule to commence in the coming week.
Last year during the Agri-Investment Forum and Expo, President Dr. Irfaan Ali along with officials from ExxonMobil and its Stabroek Block partners, Hess Corporation, and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited launched the Agriculture and Innovation Entrepreneurship Programme (AIEP) Hydroponic Project, investing US$4.5 million for the construction of hydroponic farms in Regions Two, Five, and Ten. The three projects project will empower over 1000 youths to advance their experience in sustainable agribusinesses.
