By 2027, it is expected that Guyana will be saving over US$60 million per annum on the importation of three key commodities corn, soya beans and shrimp, according to President Irfaan Ali.

Delivering the feature address at the New Guyana Marketing Corporation’s (GMC’s) annual awards ceremony and dinner yesterday at the Ramada Georgetown Princess Hotel, Ali said his government’s emerging strategies and strong investment in the agriculture sector are to create the enabling environment necessary for the country’s produce and products to be of an esteemed standard.

The president highlighted the benefit of agro-processing, noting its challenges such as capacity of scale and the proper packaging and processing of products, according to a report by the Department of Public Information (DPI).

President Ali also urged agro-processors and exporters to utilise the food processing facilities established by the GMC through the Ministry of Agriculture countrywide.

He said his government continues to invest in the necessary infrastructure and programmes to unleash the potential of agriculture entrepreneurs to produce high-quality products.

“In the financing of the sector and within the next two to three years, a lot of resources will be set aside for agribusiness incubators. For an agro-processor to be successful, we must be able to mobilise them under a common roof and provide them with the technology, knowledge, and support services,” President Ali stated.

The government plans to establish regional and sub-regional hubs by procuring more agro-processing facilities in the various regions to improve the shelf life and ease the transportation and logistics of products.

Since 2020, the number of agro-processors has increased robustly from 116 to 283, DPI said.

https://www.stabroeknews.com/2024/06/26/news/guyana/guyana-to-save-u60m-on-imports-of-corn-soya-shrimp-ali/