The future of agro-processing is promising

Jan 10, 2024 Letters

Dear Editor,

Agriculture has been considered the backbone of our nation and for many other nations like India and Brazil, ranked among the top five agricultural producing countries of 2023. Guyana as we know it, has been competing strongly with many of these top-producing nations, particularly over the last three years. In 2023, the landscape of agriculture began to evolve even more with greater emphasis on technological advances and sustainable practices to achieve food security.

According to Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha, 130 new agro-processing products were launched in 2023 through the Guyana Marketing Corporation last year with 54 new Guyana shop corners launched as a means to decentralise GMC. This move will see a flurry of local products produced by our very own Guyanese penetrating the markets and even competing with the big brands that are being imported.

There was a time when you could not access one locally-made product on the shop shelves and today in all Chinese-run supermarkets and locally-run shops, products produced by Guyanese are adorning the shelves. The quality in packaging has improved so much and the taste is even better, from chips to sauces, the variety is there, and these improvements are credited to the interest the Ministry of Agriculture places in making agriculture a top sector regionally and internationally.

We see increasingly agro-processing facilities taking shape in various regions, all to raise the standard of production of locally made items. What we can expect shortly is for food to become more affordable and even more accessible.

Minister Mustapha revealed that “From January to November 2023, Guyana’s export of non-traditional agricultural commodities totals 8,926 metric tons which is valued at $1,862 million or US $8.8 million,” (DPI) and with a whopping $589.5 million to increase opportunities for agro-processors, the achievement of this sector has been mountainous and we should be very pleased on the progress made compared to pre-2020. As a people, it is left upon us to utilize the necessary resources being made available by the agriculture ministry and the government of Guyana to advance our way of living. We must move away from the traditional methods of farming and welcome new initiatives that will increase food production and enhance agro-processing. Our country is on the cusp of greater achievements and the government has cushioned many areas to help in the advancement.

Regards,

Anthony Singh

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