Empretec, the country’s entrepreneurial training facility, on Tuesday launched a series of special workshops which are expected to benefit agro-processors throughout the country.
The workshops are a joint initiative with the Canadian Executive Service Organisation (CESO), which is part of a “capacity building project for Agro Processors”. This project got underway on January 19, continues with the workshops which began on Tuesday and will conclude on February 25. The primary purpose of these sessions is to expose the participants to “key issues involved in agro-processing – particularly with regard to the production process, quality, standards and food health.”
At Tuesday’s launch at the National Library Conference Room, Ignatius Jean, the local representative from the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), delivered the feature address.
During his discourse, he outlined the task of his body which he said was to help countries find ways to contribute to rural prosperity. He said agro-processing had an important role to play in a changing society and its value could not be underestimated. He also identified the agro-processing industry as a vital area in creating jobs.
Meanwhile, Industry and Commerce Minister Manniram Prashad said such an initiative was timely since it would help benefit local persons. He said he was delighted that the issue of packaging of products was being addressed and opined that packaging often affected sales. Prashad said although the quality of local products was excellent, the way they were packaged affected their marketability.
Prashad, however, urged that such workshops be taken to other regions. He opined that the persons who would benefit the most from such sessions will never attend when they are held in Georgetown and urged Empretec to take such workshops to the farmers.
Joycelyn Williams, the co-ordinator of CESO, identified the main aim of this project as providing technical assistance to the necessary persons. She explained that the activities of CESO are funded by Canadian International Development Agency CIDA, which intends to widen its programme within the Caribbean.
Managing Director of Empretec Judy Semple-Joseph said agro-processing was vital in the Small to Medium Enterprise (SME) sector, which is dominated by women.
She noted that poor presentation of good products undermined the perception of their quality, making it difficult for them to compete with more attractively packaged goods. She said the workshops will help to equip women to increase their earnings and this would in turn add to moves to eliminate poverty and bring gender equality, in keeping with the Millennium Development Goals.
The workshops will be conducted primarily by CESO Volunteer Advisers, Allan and Lydia Sorflaten and the topics will include: ‘Innovative Packaging Techniques’, ‘Marketing Strategies’, ‘Food Safety’, ‘Labelling’ and ‘Packaging & Presentation’. Persons from Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), (Demerara-Mahaica), Five (Mahaica-Berbice), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and Ten (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice) are expected to benefit from these sessions.
Further the couple will be training three local consultants.
According to a press release from Empretec, “the objective of the body is to support and advance entrepreneurship development in Guyana by working directly with small and medium enterprises and providing access to a comprehensive and integrated range of services to enhance their participation and national development”.
