Govt, investors move to expand bamboo cultivation, manufacturing in Guyana

The Government of Guyana is advancing plans to expand bamboo cultivation and manufacturing as part of efforts to modernise the agricultural and forestry sectors and support economic diversification.
The Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest) announced via its social media platform that representatives of the Guyana Bamboo Company recently met with Chief Investment Officer and Agency Head of GO-Invest, Peter Ramsaroop, to discuss proposals for bamboo cultivation in Region Nine (Upper Takatu-Upper Essequibo) and other regions across the country. Also participating in the engagement was Director of Economic Affairs, Arvinda Ramcharan.
According to GO-Invest, the discussions focused on developing large-scale bamboo cultivation and processing to support infrastructure development, industrial applications, and biomass production. The initiative is intended to position Guyana as a competitive producer of bamboo products within Latin America and the Caribbean, while supporting national objectives related to sustainable development and climate resilience.
The proposed investment comes as the Government outlines concrete plans to integrate bamboo into the forestry and manufacturing sectors. Only on Monday, during the presentation of Budget 2026, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh announced that the forestry sector will pilot a bamboo furniture manufacturing initiative.

“In 2026, the forestry sector will pilot bamboo furniture manufacturing using existing inventories while cultivating 50 acres to expand bamboo supplies in support of sustainable diversification,” Dr Singh said.
He further disclosed that the Government will establish a registry of furniture manufacturers and identify beneficiaries for targeted training programmes. These measures are aimed at increasing production capacity to meet residential and commercial demand.
Budget 2026 also provides for the removal of Value Added Tax (VAT) on locally made furniture, including doors, moulding, and beds. The Finance Minister said this measure is intended to improve the competitiveness of the forestry sector, reduce construction costs, and support local manufacturers.
More broadly, Dr Singh noted that value-added production within the forestry industry has increased in recent years, supported by private sector investments in sawmills, kiln-drying facilities, and furniture manufacturing operations. He added that in 2025, the prefabricated housing initiative scaled up production and is expected in 2026 to supply both domestic and export markets, utilising a range of timber species.
Additionally, the Finance Minister reported that work is advancing on Guyana’s Timber Legality Assurance System, with the aim of issuing the country’s first Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) licence by the end of 2026. Following this milestone, trade missions to European Union markets are expected to be facilitated.
The expansion of bamboo cultivation and manufacturing is expected to complement these broader forestry initiatives while opening new opportunities for investment, employment, and export growth.