As Guyana’s hospitality sector continues to expand, Government is moving to position local farmers to capture a greater share of the food market generated by the industry, through stronger linkages between producers and hotels.
Agriculture Minister, Hon. Zulfikar Mustapha, says the objective is to develop a more structured, market-led approach to agricultural production, where farmers have greater certainty about what the hospitality sector requires and can plan production accordingly.
The Minister made the remarks on Tuesday during an engagement with hotel owners, managers and representatives of the hospitality sector, where stakeholders discussed opportunities to increase the use of locally produced fruits, vegetables, herbs and other agricultural commodities.
“The issue is not simply whether farmers can produce. The issue is whether we can organize production around the requirements of the market,” Minister Mustapha said.
He noted that while farmers across the country are producing a wide range of commodities, stronger coordination is needed to connect that production with the demand within the hospitality industry. The Minister said hotels require reliable supplies that meet specific standards, quantities and quality requirements, while farmers need greater certainty about the market before making production decisions.
“We cannot simply tell farmers, ‘Produce more,’ without telling them where the market is, what quantity is required, what standards must be met and what price structure they can reasonably expect,” he said.
Representatives of the hospitality sector welcomed the initiative and identified traceability, reliability, quality and competitive pricing as key requirements for increasing their purchases from local producers.
Minister Mustapha said the initiative must therefore extend beyond production to address the entire agricultural value chain, including grading, sorting, packaging, food safety, hygiene, traceability, post-harvest handling, storage and transportation.
“This initiative must go beyond production. We have to look at the entire value chain—from the farm to the hotel kitchen,” he said.
The Minister proposed that hotels communicate their requirements in advance to farmers, cooperatives and producer groups, allowing for seasonal production plans, supply schedules and, where practical, longer-term purchasing arrangements.
He said greater certainty in the market could encourage farmers to invest in irrigation, improved planting material, greenhouse production, machinery and other technologies, ultimately contributing to increased production and employment.
As part of the next steps, the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) will facilitate the process of strengthening the linkages between farmers and hospitality establishments. The National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), meanwhile, will work with the Guyana Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) to identify potential farmers who can initially supply the sector.
A follow-up engagement is expected within the next month to advance discussions and identify specific commodities, supply requirements and practical mechanisms for connecting farmers with hotels.
Minister Mustapha also stressed that the relationship must be economically viable for both sides, noting that farmers must receive prices that make production sustainable while hotels must be able to source local produce at competitive prices. He said stronger local sourcing would allow a greater portion of tourism expenditure to remain within the Guyanese economy, benefiting farmers, rural communities and other businesses along the supply chain.
“When hotels buy locally, more of the money spent by visitors stays within the Guyanese economy,” Minister Mustapha said.
The Minister said the Government will continue to support farmers through improved planting material, extension services, irrigation and drainage, technology, access to finance and other interventions, while calling on the private sector to be an active partner in strengthening the agricultural value chain.
He said the ultimate objective is to create a system in which tourism and agriculture reinforce each other, with the growing hospitality sector providing a reliable market for Guyanese farmers and local agriculture supplying a greater share of the food consumed by visitors to Guyana.
