As of May 2026, the Ministry of Agriculture reported on its website that approximately 1,000 shade houses were in operation across Guyana. However, it is not clear just where these shade houses are located and what their production figures are like.
Kiskadee Watch asked Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha on Wednesday for the total number of shade houses constructed since 2021, the total expenditure on the programme so far; how many are currently operational and what monitoring systems are in place. But no response was forthcoming.
This publication also unsuccessfully reached out to the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) on several of the contact numbers that have been listed for the organisation.
According to the ministry, the shade house programme is part of the government’s agriculture diversification and food security strategy under the Agriculture Innovation and Entrepreneurship Programme (AIEP), which was launched in 2022 – an initiative aimed at increasing production of high-value crops; creating employment, especially for youths and women; and reducing CARICOM’s food import bill.
NAREI has since reported that 132 shade houses were constructed under the One Guyana Shade House Project in 2022, including 54 at Mon Repos. The ministry then reported that the total number exceeded 450 by 2024.
Then the Department of Public Information (DPI) said that 219 new shade houses were built in 2024, bringing the total to more than 600 nationwide.
The Ministry of Education had stated on its website that the shade house programme has expanded beyond individual farmers to include schools, community groups, women’s groups,
Amerindian villages and youth agricultural projects.
However, despite the government’s repeated announcements about the construction of shade houses across the country, there is little publicly available evidence to demonstrate that many of these facilities have been completed, are operational, or are delivering the intended benefits to communities. Given the number of shade houses the government says have been established, Kiskadee Watch expected them to be relatively easy to locate. Instead, finding functioning shade houses has proven difficult, raising questions about the status and effectiveness of the programme.
Last week, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Members of Parliament Sherod Duncan and Vinceroy Jordan visited Moruca in Region One (Barima/Waini) and discovered that at least two shade houses were abandoned.
“We visited a shade house in Ko-Ko and Haimaruni. We’re told another is non-functional in Kamwata as well. But we did not get a chance to go and see it. Concerning their management, we’re advised it’s between the region and Ministry of Agriculture,” Duncan told Kiskadee Watch.
Chairman of Region One Brentnol Ashley told this publication on Wednesday that he could not comment on the non-functioning shade houses in the region because he is now gathering his information to gain a proper understanding of the issue.
Meanwhile, Duncan shared that the facilities showed little evidence of productive activity, with farming tools left idle, seedlings dried out, irrigation equipment unattended and no signs of active cultivation. He said residents told the visiting team that the projects had never operated as intended and had provided little or no benefit to the communities.
Duncan argued that the issue was not whether money had been allocated for such projects, but whether the investments were producing results. He noted that while projects were often announced and publicised, there appeared to be inadequate systems for management, training, supervision and accountability to ensure their long-term success.
He called on the Ministry of Agriculture and the regional administration to explain the current status of the facilities, identify who is responsible for their management, and outline measures to ensure the projects deliver the promised benefits to residents.
Discussion