Former Minister of Youth Development and National Service, Foster Cummings, has publicly accused the United National Congress (UNC) government of dismantling a significant labor-intensive agricultural initiative, leaving hundreds of young people unemployed. In a widely circulated social media video, Cummings revealed that the Youth Agricultural Shade House Project in Tucker Valley, Chaguaramas, has been abruptly shut down, barring access to approximately 300 trainees involved in the program. Launched in August 2024 by former Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley, the project aimed to equip young nationals aged 16-35 with agricultural skills through shade-house cultivation of high-value crops. The initiative, a collaboration between the Ministry of Youth Development and National Service and The University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine, provided trainees with a daily stipend of $150. Cummings highlighted that the project was inspired by a successful Guyanese program and had four completed shade houses with 16 more under construction before the UNC came to power in the April 28 general election. He criticized the government for discontinuing the program, locking out the co-operative established to market produce, and halting construction work. Cummings also expressed concern over broader social-programme cutbacks, including the discontinuation of URP and CEPEP initiatives, and urged the government to reconsider its decision, emphasizing the impact on young people’s livelihoods. He further alleged that the site might be handed over to a private individual, sidelining the trainees. Despite multiple attempts to seek clarification from Agriculture Minister Ravi Ratiram, no response has been received.