Georgetown Guyana (Commonwealth Union)_Guyanian President’s Agricultural Innovation Entrepreneurship Programme (AIEP) allocated USD 185 million for the procurement of one hundred tunnel houses to combat food insecurity issues the African continent has been facing in recent times. These funds are allocated from USD 200 million from this year’s AIEP budget.
The tunnel houses will be placed in various areas across the country and will have the dual impact of harnessing the entrepreneurship sprit of young people to gain lucrative employment and be of service to the nation, feeding the most vulnerable facing food insecurity.
With agriculture requiring spirit, skill and strength, Guyana is banking on its able-bodied young people to contribute towards the food supply chain, while also making agriculture less labour intensive and more modern through these new innovative tunnel houses. This addition of modernity will be an added attraction for youth to join in the programme.
President of Guyana Dr Irfaan Ali launched the AEIP in January 2022 as a fully financed government project, to add fillip to the agriculture sector by empowering youth and generating employment, adding good profits from the produce harvested. By the end of 2022, 120 tunnel houses had been constructed and the plan is to engage another one hundred agri-entrepreneurs into the programme in addition to the one hundred already working within the project. The plan is also to increase crop production by 50 percent.
Since its launch in January 2022, the participants have earned more than USD 10 million via dividends.