The Ministry of Agriculture will launch an app this week that increases farmers’ access to critical data, including soil management tips and weather forecasts. This was announced by Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha during his appearance on the Starting Point podcast on Sunday, February 22.
Mustapha said users will be able to access accurate and actionable data from the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI).
“If you go into Blackbush Polder, the app will tell you what kind of crop can grow in Blackbush Polder. You go to Linden…you will see different areas, what types of crops you should plant to get a better market for them,” the minister stated.
To further boost production outcomes for farmers, Mustapha announced that a data centre and situation room is nearing completion, with commissioning scheduled in March. “We are about 75% completed already. So hopefully by March, we can commission that facility,” he noted.
Similar to Guyana’s agriculture sector app, the facility will house data for the wider Caribbean, including weather patterns, soil types and recommended crops for various territories. The idea, he said, stemmed from President Dr Irfaan Ali’s visit to Costa Rica, where a similar model exists at the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) headquarters.
The minister further outlined plans to modernise the fishing industry through digital platforms and infrastructure upgrades.
“In the fishing industry today, farmers don’t take technology seriously. They want to do things the way they used to do them before, the way their parents used to do things. So, we want to change that concept. We want to change that culture,” he said.
Following his appointment as Agriculture Minister in 2020, Mustapha said tracking devices were purchased and installed on vessels to enable easy detection at sea. The minister said, “We have over 500 vessels now that have these tracking devices on them and we have a central station that can monitor these vessels.”
Minister Mustapha noted that over the past three years, his ministry has developed a number of facilities for fisherfolk, including landing sites and wharves. He hopes that by the end of March, information on all landing sites will be available on the app.
He also said training sessions will be conducted countrywide on the use of these digital platforms