(Kaieteur News) – Sixty-five women accounted for nearly two-thirds of the 102 students who graduated from the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA) on Tuesday, as the institution marked its 61st graduation ceremony amid growing demand for skilled professionals to support Guyana’s expanding agriculture sector.
The Class of 2026 comprised 65 females and 37 males who completed studies across six programmes at the school’s Mon Repos and Essequibo campuses. Of the graduates, 66 earned either Credit or Distinction, while 10 students referred in 2025 successfully completed their programmes this year, the Agriculture Ministry said in a press release.
Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha while handing out an award to one of the graduates.
Delivering the feature address, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha highlighted the increasing participation of women in agricultural education, describing it as a reflection of the sector’s changing landscape and expanding professional opportunities.
The graduating class represented nine of Guyana’s 10 administrative regions, alongside 12 students from other Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries, including 10 from Grenada and two from Saint Lucia. The graduation comes as the Government continues to increase investment in agriculture, with Mustapha reporting that the sector grew by 11.5 per cent in 2025, while budgetary allocations rose from $18.4 billion in 2020 to $113.2 billion in 2026.
He said the investments are supporting the modernisation of production systems, expansion of agricultural infrastructure, increased access to technology and new opportunities in crop and livestock production, agro-processing and other areas.
Against this backdrop, the minister stressed that institutions such as the GSA must ensure that graduates are equipped with the technical knowledge, practical skills and innovative thinking needed to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving sector. “For more than six decades, the Guyana School of Agriculture has played an important role in preparing men and women for service in agriculture and national development. Since its establishment in 1963, the institution has produced 4,497 graduates who have gone on to serve as farmers, extension officers, animal health professionals, foresters, agro-processors, researchers, and agricultural leaders,” Mustapha said.
He noted that the school’s expansion beyond its original agricultural programme to include Forestry, Fisheries, Agro-Processing, Animal Health and Veterinary Public Health, and Livestock Production and Management reflects the changing needs of the industry.
With technology advancing, consumer expectations evolving, markets becoming increasingly competitive and climate change affecting production, Mustapha said agricultural education must continue to adapt. “Our educational institutions must therefore continue to equip students with the knowledge, practical skills, and innovative thinking needed to respond to these developments,” he said.
The GSA graduates and other officials including Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha.
The minister also urged young people to look beyond traditional farming and recognise opportunities in agricultural science, technology, business management, research, veterinary services, environmental management, logistics and marketing. He emphasised, however, that educational opportunities must be accompanied by access to financing and other resources to help young professionals establish businesses in farming, agro-processing and agricultural services.
“But access to education must be matched by access to opportunity. That is why the Government is also working to expand opportunities for young entrepreneurs,” he said, pointing to financing available through the Guyana Development Bank for eligible young entrepreneurs.
Mustapha also welcomed the GSA’s successful re-registration with the National Accreditation Council of Guyana through 2029, describing it as an important step in maintaining recognised educational standards and ensuring the continued relevance of its programmes. He highlighted partnerships with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and EMC, which have supported training in hydroponics and protected agriculture. He also pointed to the introduction of digital farm record systems and collaboration with the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) as efforts to strengthen the connection between training, research and practical production.
Among the outstanding graduates, Analesia D’Aguiar received the Chairman’s Prize for the best graduating student in the programmes offered at the Essequibo Campus. She completed the Certificate in Forestry programme with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.97, the highest recorded in the graduating class. Marlon O’Donoghue received the Chief Executive Officer’s Prize as the best graduating student in the two-year programmes offered at the Mon Repos Campus. He completed the Diploma in Agriculture programme with a GPA of 3.71.
Two Grenadian nationals, Jacob Thomas and Adonis Jones, were also recognised among the year’s outstanding performers. The Guyana School of Agriculture began operations at Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, on 9th September, 1963. Over more than six decades, it has developed into a key institution for agricultural training, supplying professionals to support the country’s agricultural production and wider development.
Source: Kaieteur News
