The New Guyana Marketing Corporation and the Guyana Shop celebrated eleven years of providing marketing and other support to local producers and manufacturers, as the agriculture sector continues to expand.
Speaking at an activity to mark the occasion on Wednesday, Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha noted that the shop is a testament to the government’s commitment of taking agriculture to higher levels.
He noted that over the past few years, approximately 400 new items were added to the shop, and the products coming out of Guyana are impressive.
“We have seen so many products that are packaged in so attractive package, are being processed in such attractive ways that it is comparable to imports… that is why all of us have a duty to promote the local produce,” the agriculture minister said.
He noted that Guyana is leading in Agriculture regionally, with agro-processing facilities in most of our administrative regions.
“The Government of Guyana will continue to advance this important activity, we will continue to modernise this important activity, we will transform it to make it more productive, we’ll transform it to make it more modern and we will ensure that Guyana becomes food secure,” minister Mustapha assured.
General Manager of the Guyana Marketing Corporation Teshawna Lall in her remarks noted that the Guyana shop has been instrumental in the development and marketing of over 3, 022 locally manufactured products, in 24 categories.
Currently there are 235 manufacturers registered with the Guyana Marketing Corporation.
She noted that the agro-processing industry is important and impacts the lives of thousands of Guyanese by providing employment opportunities.
“Guyana Shop was established in 2012 as a nurturing platform for Guyana’s agro-processed commodities, it not only offers invaluable marketing and sales to support agriculture but also collaborates with various departments within GMC including the marketing and agri-business development unit as well as external agencies,” Lall stated.
Several of the agro- processors who have received assistance from the Guyana Shop and the Guyana Marketing Corporation expressed gratitude.
“The assistance that we have had from the GMC since our establishment in 2021 has been very, very tremendous, not only in helping us to promote our products locally, but across the Caribbean region as well,” said Leslie Ramlall of Only Coconuts.
Radica Basdeo said the GMC has helped her business in several ways, “The New GMC Has helped my business tremendously is access to market,access to raw materials and also training for skill development,” she stated.
“The Guyana shop and GMC has helped me to grow as an agro-processor, I remember when I first brought my product to GMC, it was no way close to what its looking like now, they encouraged me, they advised me of the different steps to take to actually become an agro-processor and how to develop my manufacturing skills,” Dixie Jordon, another manufacturer whose products are sold at the Guyana shop, shared.
