By Steven Vickerie
Guyanese entrepreneur, Adaiah Fyffe, is on a mission to leave his mark in the country’s food preservation market. By applying carefully crafted techniques through his business, Wild Rupununi, Fyffe is hoping to make a difference in the way Guyanese preserve and consume fruits.
While Wild Rupununi is not the only business in the market producing dried fruit, the potential benefits of this product is deemed by a plethora of research to be exponential. For those who may not be aware, dried fruits are said to have the same amount of nutritional value as those freshly picked.
In addition to the outstanding nutritional value, research has shown that the size of the global dried fruits market grew from $7.86 billion in 2022 to $8.68 billion in 2023, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.5%.
Sadly, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has resulted in a surge in commodity prices and supply chain disruptions, causing inflation across goods and services and affecting many markets across the globe. Despite such economic difficulties, the dried fruits market size is still expected to grow, so much so that it is forecast to reach $11.62 billion in earnings come 2027 at a CAGR of 7.6%.
Given these statistics, Fyffe is determined to channel all his efforts into moving up in the big leagues.
BIRTH OF WILD RUPUNUNI
Fyffe who was originally born in Linden, moved to Georgetown when he was just months old. He told Guyana Standard that after attending The Business School on Brickdam, Georgetown, he later moved to the United States where he deepened his business knowledge through university.
“I graduated with my degree in Business Administration… I came back sometime around 2019 but after that, I found myself in the height of the pandemic and I decided to start my own business. Since I was young, I always had an issue with the way food is wasted. But Guyana being such a beautiful country, to watch food waste here is the hardest thing I have had to witness sometimes,” Fyffe said.
The young entrepreneur noted that while he had a vision to change this state of affairs, the capital to start his business, especially during the pandemic, was no easy undertaking. He outlined that after winning a sweepstakes competition in the Caribbean, he used that money, along with a grant from the Small Business Bureau, to give birth to Wild Rupununi. Fyffe told this newscast that when brainstorming a name for his business, he wanted it to be originally Guyanese, especially since most of the fruits he uses are grown in the Rupununi.
STRUGGLES AND TRIUMPHS
Every entrepreneur knows that starting a business can sometimes be an immediate success or it takes years of hard work and sleepless nights to achieve maximum profits and exposure. While Fyffe has sold more than 2500 packs of his signature dried fruits, within the past 12 months, he was keen to share that he does this alone. From production to packaging, even the distribution and marketing, Fyffe is a one-man army.
The entrepreneur explained that while he is thankful for the support from supermarkets and other customers, there are still some constraints he faces. “I do this alone. I don’t have the luxury of having a complement of staff. It’s only been a little over a year since I started but I am optimistic that it will grow overtime. I love Guyana and this is the place that needs the most work. I rather be here than to do this anywhere else,” Fyffe said.
Fyffe was also pleased to share how his business has provided him with several life changing interactions. He told this news entity that while he does not grow his own fruits, he meets with farmers constantly. “I am able to discuss the standards that I want for these fruits and they in return teach me a few things along the way. We learn from each other with each interaction and it’s really been great for business,” he noted.
Fyffe said that doing his marketing and distribution has also allowed him to meet and interact with customers from all walks of life. “I am humbled and pleased every time someone compliments me, or gives me a word of encouragement. Being able to share facts about the benefits of fruits is also really great, “ the businessman said.
MORE CAN BE DONE
Fyffe is of the belief that a lot more can be done for entrepreneurs by way of Government interventions. He noted that the Small Business Bureau has done its fair share in helping persons with the seed money they need to get started. He noted however that the sum of money allocated in the grant is insufficient to help some business ideas reach their full potential, especially when one considers the rising tide of economic costs.
“I can’t stop stressing that in order for our country to be a stronger contender in the world market, more investment is needed in our people. Finding funds from local sources to compete at a global level is hard. At this level, as an entrepreneur, you have to make up your mind to either fight and go through, or you’ll give up while trying,” Fyffe said.
In addition to the financial constraints, Fyffe also pointed to another major hurdle–competing with imported products. Fyffe said that Guyanese are still hooked on purchasing food products from overseas. He urged that consumers be more mindful in their spending by supporting more locally produced items.
FAILURE CAN EQUAL SUCCESS
Fyffe told Guyana Standard that he wants other Guyanese who are desirous of becoming entrepreneurs to go into the market without any fear. He noted that too often, persons allow time to elapse; waiting for all the right ingredients to line up first, before making that first attempt. He opined that business is a game of luck and chance, but only through hard work can success be achieved.
“Failure is a major part of success. You have to fail in order to learn and evolve. I am in this business out of passion… you must love what you’re doing and make sure you do it with passion. It gets rough, but ,you have to have a positive mindset to face what is ahead. And most importantly, don’t give up. At any cost, and I reiterate, don’t give up,” Fyffe encouraged.
