Grenada PM and President Ali tour shade house donated by Guyana

Current Chair of CARICOM, Grenada’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell on Tuesday engaged President of Guyana Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali on a site visit to La Sagesse St David the home of one of the shade houses donated by Guyana to Grenada. 

Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell following the tour expressed his gratitude for the recommendations and guidance provided by Dr Ali. “ I want to thank President Ali as the Head of Food Security in the region for the tremendous efforts and the passion that you’ve brought to the question of Agriculture and Food Security in the region.

“This site is the perfect example for young people to see that food production is an exciting industry,” Dickon Mitchell added.  

Prime Minister Mitchell also expressed his appreciation for the technical assistance provided to Grenada by Guyana adding that the facility is a wonderful opportunity for Grenada to diversify its food production by bringing in technology.  

Cementing his interest in the development of agriculture in Grenada, President of Guyana Dr Irfaan Ali spoke passionately to the touring team which included Minister for Agriculture Lennox Andrews, on ways to fully maximise the use of the shade houses and surrounding lands. 

“Guyana is pleased to collaborate with Grenada and young people should be greatly exposed to this facility Dr Irfaan Ali stated. Dr Ali also encouraged the team to work with regional financial Institutions in a bid to propel Agri-Tech businesses.  

The shade house at La Sagesse falls under the Youth in Agriculture Pilot Project which was launched in February of 2023, to the tune of approximately $1.4 million, engaging young people initially over a three-year time span.  

The second shade house is also fully functional at the Mirabeau Propagation Sation, with a collective value of approximately US $12,000. 

Tuesday’s visit comes on the heels of Grenada hosting the 47th Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government Meeting.   

Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands Forestry and Marine Resources Isaac Bhagwan along with Senior Agricultural Officials and Heads of Departments were all part of Tuesday’s Bi-lateral engagement.