Agri Ministry helps mechanise women’s agro-processing unit

Jan 08, 2012 News

The Mangroves Reserves Women’s Group is now equipped with the requisite tools worth $1.5M to transform their agro-processing operations from manual to mechanical. The equipment were donated by the Agriculture Ministry.
At the handing over ceremony held yesterday at the Mangroves Visitors Centre, East Coast Demerara, Agriculture Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy pledged to continue supporting the group with technical support and additional equipment since cottage industries are an integral part of food production in Guyana.

Members of the Mangrove Reserves Women’s Group and newly acquired equipment

He added that through the Rural Enterprise Agriculture Development Programme the Ministry will see the growth of cottage industries. The programme encourages agro-producers to cultivate different crops and add value to them through packaging for local and international sales.
However, the Ministry is cognizant of the numerous challenges agro-producers encounter such as accessing appropriate packages. Dr. Ramsammy stated the Ministry cannot take on the responsibility of investing in bottles but it will act as a link between agro-producers and manufacturing industries.
He also committed that Government will support the group even after the mangrove project comes to an end in 2013.
According to Annette Arjoon-Martins, Chairperson, Mangroves Restoration Action Committee, the equipment will enhance the group’s production to meet larger orders which were previously being done manually.
She said that during the Christmas season the group earned over $2M through generous orders by Digicel and CGX. The gift baskets comprised items produced manually by the women. As the Mangroves Reserves label becomes popular on the market the group will have to increase their production.
Arjoon-Martins said that the handing over ceremony and the first beekeeping workshop for 2012 were strategically done since to some extent beekeeping saw the creation of the group.
She related that preliminary meetings were initiated in 2010 with active beekeepers that produce honey in mangrove forested areas along the coastline to discuss partnerships with the mangrove project.
Some of their recommendations were that they receive support from the project to package and market their product in exchange for which they will support the awareness and education at the community level.
Arjoon-Martins said that one component of the beekeeping training also dealt with value added products such as candles made from the beeswax.
Devon Gilhead, beekeeper, has exceeded the wildest expectations of the project as within a few months he has commenced production of the most exquisite candles produced from the beeswax of the mangrove honey.
A spin off of the beekeeping component was the mangrove honey producers forming themselves into agro processing units in order to supply the Mangrove Visitors Centre with their products which are produced by women farmers in the mangrove forested communities.