On November 7, 2025, twenty-seven agricultural professionals and students from Guyana and across the Caribbean successfully completed the second Shade House Training Programme for 2025. The training brought together participants from the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA), agricultural professionals, and fifteen Indigenous representatives from the villages of Morawhanna, Smith Creek, Tapakuma, St. Cuthbert’s Mission (Pakuri), Orealla, Siparuta, Rockstone, and Moraikobai, alongside seven regional participants from Saint Lucia and Grenada. This diverse group underscores the programme’s growing regional footprint and its commitment to advancing sustainable and climate-smart agricultural practices through collaboration and knowledge exchange.
The training was implemented from November 3 to 7, 2025, by the EMC Foundation and Environmental Management Consultants Inc. (EMC Inc.), in collaboration with the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) and the Guyana School of Agriculture, with funding support from the ExxonMobil Foundation under the Climate Resilience Grant.
This initiative forms part of a broader regional effort to strengthen climate-smart agricultural practices and enhance the capacity of agricultural professionals, while promoting sustainable and resilient farming systems.
The programme equipped participants with both technical knowledge and hands-on experience in key areas such as shade house design and construction, crop management, pest and disease control, and post-harvest handling and storage. Through expert-led presentations, interactive discussions, and field-based demonstrations, participants deepened their understanding of climate-smart techniques, culminating in the construction of a Macro-Tunnel Shade House as part of their practical training.
At the Shade House Training Certification Ceremony held at the Mangrove Research Centre, NAREI, the Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Honourable Sarah Browne, commended the participants, emphasising that the training represents a crucial step toward creating sustainable communities and repositioning Guyana as the “breadbasket” of the Caribbean. Minister Browne noted that completing the shade house training “should not be looked at as no small achievement. It represents your commitment to learning, to growth, and to building a better future, not only for yourselves, but for your families, your communities, and for Guyana and the Caribbean as a whole.”
Mrs. Malisa Nokta, Deputy Managing Director of Environmental Management Consultants Inc., highlighted that the shade house training demonstrates what collaboration can achieve, combining technical expertise, research, and innovation to build capacity and support food security. She also announced the next phase of the initiative, stating that “as part of our ongoing efforts under this programme, the collaborative partners will be implementing a solar agriculture pilot project. This initiative will introduce the integration of solar energy with shade house farming, representing another innovative approach to support climate-smart agriculture.”
Mr. Gavin Ramnarain, Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana School of Agriculture, emphasised the empowerment of youth through agriculture, stating that “with the vast amount of land area and favourable climatic conditions, you can grow everything anywhere. If you’re from the hinterland regions, you don’t have to import certain things from the coast. This gives our youth independence, and that’s one of the most important things. You can grow your own food in your own locations.”
Also addressing participants was Mr. Pooran Seeraj, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of NAREI, who welcomed the continued partnership among the collaborating organisations and encouraged participants to apply their new skills to drive positive change in their communities.
Through this initiative, farmers and agricultural students are expected to lead transformative agricultural projects that apply climate-smart techniques to produce high-yielding, pest- and disease-resistant crops that are sustainably managed and properly stored, contributing to a more food-secure and resilient region.
Participants Receiving their Certificates of Completion
Day 1 Activities of the Shade House Training Programme
Activities
