Agriculture Minister explores greater access to finance for farmers

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha has met with officials from the World University Service of Canada (WUSC), Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) where he charged them to develop products for the benefit of farmers.
The engagement was geared at discussing the progress of a capacity-building programme aimed at small farmers. The programme provides farmers with valuable information to increase their productivity, income, and commercialisation opportunities through market linkages, climate-smart agriculture, good agricultural practices, access to productivity-increasing inputs, and entrepreneurship.
During the meeting, the Minister challenged the group to develop a financial product that will give small farmers more access to finance, assist in removing the stigmas associated with agriculture, and work with youths to get involved in growing high-end crops under shaded cultivation.
He also highlighted the Government’s push for agro-processing and the planned construction of 13 agro-processing facilities across the country by the end of 2023. Mustapha also charged the group to work with relevant Government agencies to help farmers and processors make the most of these facilities.
WUSC/GCCI and partners utilised a market system approach to locate small farmers within the entire market system and address the key constraints to sustainable small farmers’ participation, including access to inputs, finance, or markets.
The Minister suggested using this approach to work with other agencies in the agriculture sector such as the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) and the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB). This collaboration involves all market actors, including the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), New Guyana Marketing Corporation, Small Business Bureau, Institute of Private Enterprise Development (IPED), Guyana Food Safety Authority (GFSA) among others to ensure a multi-sectoral approach to sustainable agriculture.
With the Minister’s support, the programme aims to provide small farmers with the necessary tools and resources to succeed in the agriculture sector and contribute to the country’s economic growth. (G12)