{"id":17541,"date":"2026-06-01T14:18:46","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T14:18:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/?p=17541"},"modified":"2026-06-10T19:03:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T19:03:00","slug":"climate-smart-hydroponic-system-completed-in-bethesda-ahead-of-schedule-by-shenequa-williams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/2026\/06\/01\/climate-smart-hydroponic-system-completed-in-bethesda-ahead-of-schedule-by-shenequa-williams\/","title":{"rendered":"Climate-Smart Hydroponic System Completed in Bethesda Ahead of Schedule by Shenequa Williams"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"A collaborative agricultural team from Guyana consisting of Khalil Benjamin\/Research Assistant; Vishram Persaud\/Technician; Kemraj Lachman\/Technician; Rafeek Abdul\/Technician; and Seeraj Ramkissoon\/Technician, recently partnered with local personnel in Antigua and Barbuda to successfully complete a new climate-smart hydroponic farming system in Bethesda.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The project, which began on May 17 with the arrival of the Guyanese team, officially commenced field operations on May 18 and was completed ahead of its two-week deadline, with final works wrapping up by May 27.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Project Manager Jason Christopher praised the dedication and teamwork displayed throughout the initiative.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cWe have a team here from Antigua which is very hardworking. I must say thanks to them for the role they have played in this project being up and running and being successful as it is,\u201d Christopher stated. \u201cIt took a lot of hard work and dedication from the folks here on the field, and I look forward to working together with them again on more projects.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The project saw the installation of two tunnel shade houses equipped with a Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) hydroponic system, designed to improve water conservation, crop production and climate resilience. The enclosed system protects crops from harsh weather conditions while promoting efficient water and nutrient management.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Research Assistant Khalil Benjamin of the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) in Guyana explained that the initiative forms part of broader regional efforts to strengthen food security and reduce dependence on imported goods.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cOne of the things that we noticed is that CARICOM has an initiative called 25 by 2025, which aims to reduce the regional food import bill by 25 percent,\u201d Benjamin explained. \u201cThe Government of Guyana wants to assist the Caribbean by sharing technical knowledge and helping to reduce importation costs.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Benjamin noted that the hydroponic system is also part of Guyana\u2019s climate-smart agriculture initiative, allowing farmers to produce crops more efficiently while conserving water.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cWith hydroponics, the water is recirculated and reused, so we don\u2019t waste water in the system,\u201d he said. \u201cA traditional farmer growing one thousand heads of lettuce may use over 300 gallons of water per day, while this system can use approximately 300 gallons for up to three weeks or even a month.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The system is designed primarily for leafy green crops such as lettuce, kale and celery, while additional hydroponic technologies such as Dutch bucket systems can later be introduced for crops like tomatoes, sweet peppers and hot peppers.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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According to Benjamin, hydroponic farming also allows crops to grow approximately 25 to 35 percent faster than traditional farming methods because plants receive nutrients directly rather than expending energy searching for them in soil.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The shade houses were strategically designed to maximize airflow and reduce heat buildup. The UV-protected plastic covering helps shield crops from harmful ultraviolet rays and heavy rainfall while maintaining cooler growing conditions. The system also incorporates geothermal cooling, submersible pumps and oxygenation technology to improve plant health and water quality.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Benjamin emphasized that the project was intentionally designed using materials and methods that local farmers can realistically adopt and replicate.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cWe want farmers to see that they can use local materials and do their own research instead of spending excessive amounts importing expensive systems,\u201d he said. \u201cThe goal is to transfer knowledge.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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While the physical infrastructure has been completed, the final operational phase will depend on the installation of electricity at the site. Once power is connected, additional training sessions are expected to be conducted to teach proper nutrient and water management techniques.<\/div>\n
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A collaborative agricultural team from Guyana consisting of Khalil Benjamin\/Research Assistant; Vishram Persaud\/Technician; Kemraj Lachman\/Technician; Rafeek Abdul\/Technician; and Seeraj Ramkissoon\/Technician, recently partnered with local personnel in Antigua and Barbuda to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17541","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news-notices"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17541","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17541"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17541\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17548,"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17541\/revisions\/17548"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17541"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17541"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17541"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}