A capacity-building workshop for 60 farmers from region 10, including agro-processors, was held on Wednesday, January 25, 2023, as part of an ongoing partnership between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Private Sector.

As part of the initiative, which was launched in region 6 in October 2022, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), World University Service of Canada (WUSC) supported by global affairs Canada (GAC), Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI), and National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) collaborated with the Ministry of Agriculture to offer various regional seminars to businesses along the agriculture value chain, with a particular focus on women and young people.

The farmers and agro-processors in attendance, the majority of whom were women, delved into topics such as business functions, good agricultural practices, access to finance and understanding and honouring contractual obligations. Speakers included Mr. Amar Panday and Mr. Brain Edwards of the GCCI, as well as representatives from WUSC, GBTI and the Ministry of Agriculture.

A key objective of the initiative is to assist farmers, women, and youth in building their capacity by using climate-smart technologies like micronutrients to boost production, increase yield, and improve the quality of their produce.

The committee has since completed the second round of workshops in regions 6 and 10 reaching a total of one hundred and seventy-five (175) farmers and agro-processors. The committee plans to expand to regions two (2), three (3), four (4) and five (5) before the end of 2023.

The GCCI applauds the Agriculture Committee for its commitment to addressing the challenges facing farmers, particularly women and youth, as well as the continuous development of Guyana’s agriculture sector as we encourage local producers to prepare themselves to access overseas markets. GCCI looks forward to continued support from the Ministry of Agriculture and participating partners.