This afternoon, at his Main Street Office, Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha boasted the success of this year’s Agri-Investment Forum and Expo that was held over the weekend at the Authur Chung Conference Center (ACCC).
The minister told the media that the event was well attended by several high-level delegations from Suriname, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, Belize and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Mustapha noted that during the first two days of the expo, several projects were launched. On Friday, President Dr. Mohammed Irfaan Ali launched a US $4.5 M hydroponics programme for youths from Regions Two, Five and Ten. Minister Mustapha said that this project will form part of the Agriculture and Innovation Entrepreneurship Programme.
He went on to note that on Saturday, Prime Minister Brig. (R’td) Mark Phillips launched the country’s and CARICOM Region’s first Zinc-enriched bio-fortified rice variety – the GRDB-IICA-17. “This is indeed a game changer as it will allow farmers to benefit from preferential prices while allowing consumers to benefit from required levels of Zinc; a critical nutrient which needed for effective immune health and metabolic functions,” said Mustapha.
Further, he said that the Ministry of Agriculture also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Republic of Cuba for the provision of Agricultural and Forestry Technical Assistance Services. Mustapha explained that the objective of that MoU is to establish the general framework of cooperation between the Ministry of Agriculture of Cuba and the Ministry of Agriculture of Guyana in vegetable products, livestock and animal products, beekeeping, forestry and other areas of interest.
Turning his attention to the forum aspect of the event, Mustapha noted the technical presentations and panel discussions addressing critical areas in the agriculture sector such as Women and Youth in Agriculture, Agriculture Financing, Nano Fertilizer in Guyana, Climate Smart Initiatives, Agricultural Technology, and the Low Carbon Development Strategy and Agriculture.
For the Exhibition, Minister Mustapha said, “We were able to showcase products from just about 150 exhibitors both locally and regionally; and over 80 agro-processors. There was also a Farmers’ Market that allowed patrons to purchase a variety of fresh produce at unbeatable prices.”
The minister said overall, this year’s Agri-Investment Forum and Expo was a success. He indicated that very soon, his team will begin preliminary plans for next year’s expo which promises to be even better.
“I wish to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to everyone who worked tirelessly and around the clock over the past weeks to ensure this event was a success. Your efforts are much appreciated. I also wish to thank all the exhibitors, agro-processors and farmers who participated and look forward to your continued support as we continue to drive our agriculture sector and achieve ‘Vision 25 by 2025’,” said Mustapha.
