Agri-Investment Forum & Expo 2023: 150 exhibitors, international delegations to participate

Preparations are in full swing at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre (ACCC) for the 2023 Agri-Investment Forum and Expo. The three-day event seeks to demonstrate a commitment to modernising the agriculture sector as the Region works towards decreasing its food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025.
Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha on Wednesday conducted a press briefing and walkthrough of the space as the Ministry gears up to co-chair the event alongside the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Secretariat.
“Caricom heads agree that the Agri-Investment Forum and Expo will be the appropriate mechanism to address the issue of the Region’s rising food import bill, and also to stimulate investments in agriculture and food production,” Mustapha said.
The Agriculture Minister noted that this initiative brings significant potential at both the individual and collective levels to advance the regional sector plans, including technological and logistical solutions for food security in Caricom.
“This event will also showcase Guyana’s unwavering commitment to the development and modernisation of the sector, whilst realising its potential of being the breadbasket of Caricom,” Mustapha has said.
This Forum and Expo, the third of its kind in the Region and second in Guyana, is slated to occur from Friday October 20 to Sunday October 22, from 10:00h to 22:00h.
“All of the booth spaces have been taken, and the exhibition promises to be larger than last year’s. This demonstrates the growing interest in the agriculture sector here in Guyana and across the Region,” Mustapha has said. “We have 150 exhibitors and over 80 agro-processors who will showcase a diverse [range] of agricultural products and support systems,” Mustapha has also said, adding that there will be a farmers’ market throughout the event.
Companies displaying their services include Fertech Inc, International Finance Corporation, Cyril Singh Agricultural Enterprise, Republic Bank, Excel Guyana Inc, and Farfan and Mendes.
The highly anticipated forum and expo is expected to see a number of international entities, as delegations from Suriname, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines have already confirmed their participation.
“The forum will highlight our mission of [fulfilling] Vision 25 by 2025, with keynote presentations by Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo on the Low Carbon Development Strategy 2023 and agricultural development, two technical presentations and four panel discussions,” Mustapha said.
Topics include climate-smart initiatives in agriculture, financing for agricultural development, agritech and innovation, and women and youth in agricultural development.
Mustapha added that the event’s opening ceremony will include speeches from Caricom Secretary General Dr Carla Barnett and Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, as well as the feature address from President Dr Irfaan Ali. (G1)