Over 300 value-added products introduced locally since 2020 – Mustapha
Geared at reducing the 41 per cent dependency on imported foods, over 300 local value-added products were introduced since the People’s Progressive Party Government took office in 2020.
This achievement was highlighted by Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha as he responded to Opposition Member of Parliament Volda Lawrence in the National Assembly on Thursday.
File photo: Locally manufactured products can be found at the GMC
“The Government of Guyana has actively supported the business sector through financial and technical support to farmers, agro-processors and infrastructural investment, leading to increased production of fresh and processed commodities,” he shared.
Among the value-added products introduced in the Guyana Shop includes fruit flavoured dips, fruit wines, chocolate, burger patties, coconut chips, cassava flour, coconut milk, desiccated coconut, smoked ham, dehydrated fruits, and flavoured cassava bread among others.
Added to this, Mustapha highlighted that Government has embarked on developing the agro-processing industry to enhance exports and reduce the country’s import dependency. This will be achieved by creating an enabling environment for competitive local manufacturing with 13 agro-processing facilities. Some 2500 farmers are expected to benefit from these mechanisms.
At Fort Wellington, West Coast Berbice, a cutting-edge food processing facility valued $37 million was officially opened. In addition, a $15 million agro-processing complex was also commissioned at St Ignatius, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), in November 2022.
Among the initiatives being pioneered by Guyana is the development of a regional agri-tech campus in Guyana. This project is being developed along with the Bangalore Bio Innovation Centre (BBC) in India.
Last year, an agri-investment forum and expo was held in Guyana, a joint initiative between the Government and Caricom Secretariat. Government had said it will be partnering with the private sector to establish a regional food hub.
The focus on agriculture is part of a vision for Guyana to reclaim its title as the bread basket of the Caribbean and reduce the regional food import bill. Last year, President Dr Irfaan Ali had declared that his Government would be pursuing an aggressive campaign to dismantle regional barriers to agricultural trade and that in the next four years, with the assistance of more diversified crops, Guyana would aim to reduce Caricom’s food import bill by 25 per cent.
In a breakdown of the growth of Guyana’s non-oil economy for 2022, a very strong expansion of 11.5 per cent was highlighted. Significantly, the agriculture, forestry and fishing sectors all increased by 11.9 per cent last year. (G12)
