Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha on Monday met with Linda Te Puni, New Zealand Ambassador to the Caribbean, and a delegation from the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) to discuss the launch of the ADOPT Caribbean – Soil Health for Climate-Resilient Agriculture Project.
The project will be officially launched later today at the Burma Rice Research Station and will see Guyana benefiting from funding totalling US$50,000.
ADOPT Caribbean is a regional initiative designed to strengthen soil health, reduce agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and accelerate the adoption of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices across the Caribbean.
During the engagement, Minister Mustapha highlighted that Guyana is already advancing the implementation of new systems and strategies within the agriculture sector, including the introduction of new rice varieties. He noted that the project will further support ongoing efforts to raise awareness among farmers and enhance resilience to climate change.
Ambassador Te Puni underscored the critical importance of climate-smart agriculture, noting that countries worldwide face similar challenges. She expressed the Government of New Zealand’s pleasure in partnering with Guyana and other Caribbean nations, as food security remains a priority.
The project is being implemented by IICA’s Delegation in Jamaica under an agreement with the New Zealand Institute for Bioeconomy Science Limited (BSI) through its Ag Emissions Centre (AgEC). It is funded through the New Zealand Government’s Climate Smart Agriculture Initiative as part of its contribution to the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases.
Also present at the meeting were IICA’s Country Representatives for Guyana and Jamaica, Mr. Wilmot Garnett and Mr. Kent Coipel, and IICA International Specialist, Dr. Chaney St. Martin.
(Source: Ministry of Agriculture-Guyana)