FAO commissions new office at Agriculture Ministry’s LBI Complex

May 15, 2021 News

Agri. Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, and FAO’s Country Representative, Dr. Gillian Smith, during the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new facility yesterday.

Kaieteur News – The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations Secretariat in Guyana commissioned its new office yesterday, which is located in the Ministry of Agriculture’s La Bonne Intention (LBI) Complex.
During the commissioning exercise, Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, said that the new office demonstrates Government’s commitment to working with international partners to develop the sector. Further to this, the Minister said, “This new office is another act to demonstrate our commitment to working and collaborating with our international partners to develop the sector. We’ve been working very closely with our international partners and you can testify to the gains we’ve been making in agriculture. Guyana is once again taking its rightful place in the region in terms of pushing the agriculture agenda and food security.”
The Minister was keen to note as well that Guyana has a history and a legacy for pushing agriculture in the Caribbean and CARICOM. Expounding further he said, “Our former President developed the ‘Jagdeo Initiative’ that was adopted by CARICOM. Those points are still relevant today. Our current President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, has put forward a document to advance the agriculture agenda and food security in the Caribbean that was recently adopted by the CARICOM Heads of Government.”
As a result of that, he said a Ministerial Taskforce was developed that is being chaired by Guyana and “I am very optimistic that with the help of the FAO and other partners we can develop a strategy to advance our food security agenda and work to resolve the issues of food insecurity in the Caribbean.” Minister Mustapha also said that Government will continue to push the agriculture agenda in the Caribbean. He added that Government will continue to support international organisations like the FAO and that the Ministry and the Government look forward to FAO’s cooperation, guidance and input to push the agriculture agenda in the region.
FAO’s Country Representative, Dr. Gillian Smith, said that the new space would provide an enabling environment for the staff. She also said that it would support the kind and quality of work required in Guyana from the FAO. The official said the new building will help to support the kind of quality work required by Guyana.

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