After eight months of careful implementation, President Dr Irfaan Ali’s “Cut Rose” project is in full bloom.
The project seeks to cut the importation of roses by 30 per cent by the end of 2023 and at the same time, provide employment and a training ground for single women in particular.
Guyana imports 42,000 roses annually from the US, Canada, and Holland among other countries.
Eight months ago, the Agriculture Ministry was tasked with the rollout and management of the “Cut Rose” project, which is being executed by the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) at Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara (ECD).
Some 2600 rose slips were imported from neighbouring Brazil and planted in shade houses set up for the project. Each shade house was populated with 600 slips featuring 25 colour variations.
Since then, the project has been significantly advanced with the harvesting of roses already on the way and on sale.
Officer with responsibility for overseeing the day-to-day management of the project, Aaron Ramroop says they are trying to ensure that fresh roses are available throughout the year.
Depending on the pattern or design, a bouquet of roses cost between $2000 and $20,000 locally.
According to the Project Manager, persons can now purchase roses from the Mon Repos location for as low as $500 per rose. He says the target is to produce an estimated 400 roses per week from two of the four shade houses. This figure is expected to double in the next six months.
Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha said in an invited comment that it is hoped that by 2025, NAREI would be able to fill completely the local demand for roses.
“We have seen a number of persons have already started to come to NAREI to purchase cut roses. We are now looking at those shops and stores that are importing cut roses, so that we can be a regular supplier to them. In another two months, we would be doubling production. I am hoping that with the increases production, we will be having more people on board. This programme was conceptualised by the President to help single parents, especially female single parents. We have already started to recruit these people who will be beneficiaries. NAREI will give them the guidance in terms of planting and replanting of it and when they can go on their own, then we will assist them with a shade house,” the Minister explained.
The locally produced roses which NAREI make available at a cost of $500 each are being sold in stores at $2000.
“For one single rose – it is very, very attractive and I think that with this here we have potential to produce all the cut roses. In another two years from now, we will be able to produce all the cut roses for the country’s needs.”
Minister Mustapha said he was hoping that the cut rose project would become a huge industry and would have the involvement of single parents in a similar way to the aquaculture project being rolled out by Government.
