A pilot project by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the Organization of American States (OAS), and the state-owned company, Guyana Power & Light Inc., will promote the adoption of renewable energy in the Guyanese agriculture sector. The project will unfold in the final six months of 2019.
The utility company will use renewable energy to power the IICA and OAS offices, with a view to building awareness in the agriculture sector about the implications of the efficient use of natural resources.
The initiative is part of Guyana’s Green State Development Strategy, which was launched in 2018, in a bid to transform the nation’s energy management, moving towards a model that addresses the climate and trade challenges of the country.
Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder, stressed that, “It is vitally important that agriculture and other sectors in Guyana have access to alternative energy sources. All members of the country, including rural communities, will see the benefits of their application”.
According to IICA Guyana Representative, Wilmot Garnett, “In the future, farmers in rural communities will have access to reliable and affordable energy to be more competitive, thereby expanding local and export markets, as well as enhancing the energy efficiency of our operations”.
On the other hand, Jean Ricot Dormeus, the OAS Representative in the country, maintained that this initiative will enrich and propel Guyana more quickly towards the Green State Development Strategy.
This roadmap is a long-term vision for economic, social, and environmental development of the country that was proposed in January 2018. It involves multiple ministries as well as private actors from various production sectors.
