In a landmark move to accelerate Guyana’s regional leadership in food security and agri-business development, the Government of Guyana on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Blumberg Grain, a renowned US-based agricultural company, to market and brand the regional food hub currently under construction at Yarrowkabra, along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway.
The MoU signing was hosted at the Ministry of Agriculture’s main boardroom. It is a pivotal milestone in Guyana’s food security agenda, championed by President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali.
The agreement lays the foundation for integrating modern marketing strategies and branding mechanisms to expand Guyana’s agricultural exports, reduce post-harvest losses, and secure a stronger presence in the CARICOM and South American markets.
During the ceremony, Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha emphasised the transformational progress Guyana has made since 2020. He said Guyana is the only country in the world that can feed its citizens.
“That is a tremendous achievement for us because when we started in 2020, we saw a sector that was run down; Guyana had lost its place in CARICOM. Today, under the visionary leadership of His Excellency Dr Irfaan Ali, Guyana is leading the food security agenda in the region.”
Representing Blumberg Grain, Chairman Philip Blumberg noted that the partnership will focus on maximising export potential through reducing losses in the value chain.
He said that while Guyana is self-sufficient, the first step toward expanding exports is reducing post-harvest loss from the field to market. “If we can minimise that, farmers will have more income, more marketable volume, and greater access to regional markets in CARICOM and northern South America.”
US Ambassador to Guyana, HE Nicole Theriot, hailed the agreement as a transformative moment in regional development.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be here today to witness this partnership — the first step in an incredibly important collaboration between Bloomberg Grain and the visionary Government of Guyana. President Ali told me from the beginning that food security is a top priority. This deal goes beyond CARICOM. It has the potential to change lives across the entire region, and I’m proud this partnership involves a US company,” Ambassador Theriot said.
Speaking on the broader economic implications of the agreement, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance and the Public Service, Dr Ashni Singh, reaffirmed agriculture’s central role in Guyana’s development strategy.
He noted that since taking office in 2020, President Ali has made it a key economic priority to build a globally competitive, non-oil economy. One of the main pillars of that economy is agriculture. “It is no accident that agriculture features so prominently in our national policy and economic priorities.”
This strategic partnership between the Government of Guyana and Blumberg Grain marks a bold step toward achieving sustainable agriculture-led growth for Guyana and the wider region.
