Over 6000 farmers receive training, improved technology under IDB-funded SADP

The Ministry of Agriculture, in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), hosted the Project Completion Exit Workshop for the Sustainable Agricultural Development Programme (SADP) on Wednesday at the World Trade Center in Georgetown.

Through the programme, over 6,000 farmers benefited from improved technology, equipment, and training, while more than 200 extension officers received capacity-building support to enhance the delivery of agricultural services.

The objectives of the workshop were to assess the project’s results in alignment with its development objectives, identify key successes, innovations, challenges, and sustainability considerations that emerged during implementation, and distill lessons learned to inform the design and execution of future projects.

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha

While addressing participants, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha said that the programme represents a key partnership between the Government of Guyana and the Inter-American Development Bank, working together for the benefit of the people.

He also noted that the SADP clearly achieved its objectives of assisting farmers to enhance productivity and improve their livelihoods, while strengthening Guyana’s agricultural institutions and modernizing the systems that guide the sector.

“Over the years, the Sustainable Agricultural Development Programme has also supported the broader policy commitments outlined in our PPP/C Government’s manifestos and reflected in our national budgets. It represents a key partnership between the Government of Guyana and the Inter-American Development Bank, working together to benefit the people. Since assuming office, our government has consistently placed agriculture at the forefront of the nation’s growth. We have invested substantial resources in strengthening extension services, providing farmers with essential tools and inputs, and upgrading drainage and irrigation systems,” Minister Mustapha explained.

Minister Mustapha also said that the programme helped to strengthen Guyana’s agricultural institutions and modernize the systems that guide the country’s agricultural sector.

“The SADP clearly achieves its objectives of assisting farmers to enhance their productivity and improve their livelihoods. It has also strengthened our agricultural institutions and modernized the systems that guide the sector in Guyana. The programme not only addresses output growth but also promotes the sustainable use of our natural resources. Guyana is setting an example by demonstrating that we can fulfill our global obligations to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while simultaneously advancing agriculture, empowering our people, and protecting the environment,” the minister noted.

Furthermore, Minister Mustapha said that one of the key outputs of the programme is improving agricultural data systems, including the Agriculture Information System, as well as completing agricultural surveys to support better data management and evidence-based policymaking in the sector.

IDB Country Representative Lorena Solórzano-Salazar said the project was fully aligned with the government’s vision for the agriculture sector and was one of the most successful the Bank has funded in the country.

“These are not isolated interventions. Together, they reflect a broader vision of a sector that is better informed, better equipped, institutionally stronger, and more responsive to the needs of farmers, consumers, and markets. It is also 100% aligned with the vision of the Government of Guyana and the 25 by 2030 Strategy. One of the important contributions of the programme has been the strengthening of the agricultural data and information system. Data is critical for decision-making. The data generated under this project has been digitized and is being utilized within the AIS,” she explained.

Under the programme, more than 200 extension officers and 6,000 farmers received training, along with agricultural technological packages that have been adopted on farms across the country.