$450M NAREI lab to revolutionise agriculture with disease-free plantlets

A $450 million biotechnology plant tissue culture laboratory at the NAREI compound in Mon Repos is set to boost agricultural production by supplying clean, disease-free, and high-quality planting material to farmers and researchers.
Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha recently visited the facility, where he engaged with technicians and observed the process of developing plantlets from cuttings.

He stated that the laboratory supports the government’s vision for advancing the agriculture sector and is expected to produce approximately one million plantlets by the end of the year.
The laboratory was developed in collaboration with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) of India and financed through the Inter-American Development Bank under the Sustainable Agricultural Development Programme (SADP).

It will provide high-yielding, disease-free planting material for crops including pineapple, citrus, plantain, sweet potato, breadfruit, sugarcane, and exotic fruits such as strawberries and blackberries.
The minister was accompanied by Director General Dhaneshwar Deonarine, NAREI Chief Executive Officer Jagnarine Singh, and other technical officers.