By Marvin Cato | HGP Nightly News|
The recently commissioned biotechnology plant tissue laboratory is steadily increasing production as part of the government’s push to strengthen Guyana’s agriculture sector with high-quality, disease-free planting material.
This was disclosed by Zulfikar Mustapha, Minister of Agriculture, during a recent site visit to the facility located within the compound of the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI).
During the walkthrough, Minister Mustapha was briefed on the progress made since the laboratory’s commissioning in October 2025. He noted that technicians have already developed several plant cultures across different crop varieties and that production is now being scaled up in line with national targets.
The state-of-the-art facility was constructed at a cost of approximately $450 million and is designed to produce up to one million plantlets annually. Its primary objective is to supply farmers and researchers with clean, disease-free, and high-quality planting material, significantly improving productivity and resilience in the agriculture sector.
According to the Minister, technical staff have indicated that the laboratory is on track to meet its full production target of one million plantlets per year by September or October. Once operational at full capacity, the facility will represent a major leap from the previous plant tissue operation, which produced only about 15,000 plantlets annually.
The laboratory uses advanced tissue culture techniques to produce planting material for a range of crops, including pineapple, citrus, plantain, and sugarcane. Plans are also in place to expand into more exotic and high-value crops such as strawberries and blackberries, opening new opportunities for diversification within the sector.
Farmers are expected to begin receiving plantlets by mid-2026, a move officials say will play a critical role in boosting food security, improving yields, and supporting sustainable agricultural development across Guyana.
The expansion of plant tissue culture production is seen as a key pillar in modernising agriculture, reducing the spread of plant diseases, and ensuring farmers have consistent access to superior planting material.
