Guyana, the southernmost country of the grouping and also the largest of the CARICOM mainland countries, lies on the South American continent and is regarded as the gateway to South America. Agriculture remains a major contributor to the economy of Guyana with its industry based on traditional mono-cropping of key export commodities such as rice and sugarcane (sugar). The sector has undergone some transformation where non-traditional commodities are becoming more predominant in the areas of fruits and vegetables and livestock. Much of this development has been expressed by way of exports to the Caribbean and countries such as the United Kingdom and Canada, as Guyana has always done well with respect to satisfying local production demands.

Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) Strategic Plan 2018-2022

Coupled with its vast availability of land for agricultural development, Guyana has been strategically targeted with respect to impacting the Regional Food Import Bill and the Food and Nutrition Security concerns of the Region. Comparative and competitive advantages pertain to Guyana with respect to agricultural production and this will hold true for a range of commodities. Production systems will be of highlight and the varying scales of production will be modelled. Commercial production systems in particular and research into combining increased productivity with mechanization and other related technological solutions will be of focus in Guyana. Another key area for Guyana lies in biotechnology development and germplasm conservation. The pioneering of new varieties based upon biotechnology solutions will be explored and will necessitate close ties with leading academic and research institutions such as the University of Guyana (UG), Guyana School of Agriculture, Guyana, Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) and the Institute of Applied Science and Technology (IAST). Infrastructural and human resource capacity will be built to support the conservation and coordination of germplasm for the Region, in the context of climate change mitigation and disaster risk reduction and response. This is part of building regional redundancy support for such facilities and/or mechanisms where conservation and coordination of germplasm and/or seed material has been identified (Belize, Guyana, St. Lucia). Additional, as part of an agro-environmentally green approach, post-harvest waste management will feature as another area of focus for work to be conducted in Guyana, specifically as it relates to the coconut industry and the riverine areas along major sites of coconut production. This type of sustainability is aimed not only at enhancing the environment but to foster innovation, downstream industry development and niche product development, which can arise out of the coconut industry and act as a transferrable model to other countries of the region.

Download CARDI STRATEGIC PLAN 2018-2022