Corentyne youths to join President Ali’s agri-entrepreneurship programme

Several youths residing in Manchester and surrounding villages along the Corentyne Coast will soon benefit from President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali’s Agriculture and Innovation Entrepreneurship Programme (AEIP), providing them with the opportunity to cultivate high-value crops.

The announcement was made by Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, during his engagement with several residents of the community on Saturday.

“I will be back shortly because a young lady raised with me that a number of young people want to get involved in agriculture, especially the high-value crops,” Minister Mustapha told the residents.

“You know that the president would have set up that company where young people are shareholders. We said that we will replicate that in various parts of the country. I will be back in that area to launch that programme with the young people in Manchester, Lancaster, and Liverpool areas,” the minister announced.

Since the president launched the initiative in January 2020, a number of high-value crops including lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots were cultivated and harvested, raking in over $10 million.

To further expand the programme this year, the government has set aside some $200 million in its 2023 budget.

This will help to expand the production of high-value crops, where about 300 shade houses will be built as part of this project.

In 2022 alone, some 120 shade houses were built to aid with production.