The Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) is gearing up for a two-day agro-processors trade show in Antigua on July 19th and 20th at which 30 local entrepreneurs will participate.
The GMC along with the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Business will be putting on the trade fair where Guyanese fresh-food producers and processed-food producers will be able to market and sell their products in Antigua. The show which is coined “Guyana on Show Part Three” will be in collaboration with the Antiguan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
At a meeting that the GMC held with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Immigration of Antigua, Paul Chet Greene, General Manager of the GMC, Ida Sealey-Adams stated that they would have had two trade shows before in Antigua and they chose Antigua as the trade relations throughout the year have been good. “Guyana has enjoyed a good trade relationship with Antigua over the years. As a matter of fact, Antigua is our fourth largest exporting destination for fresh and agro-processed products regionally” Sealey-Adams said. The general manager added that they had thought of ways to improve on the current existing relationship with the country, expand trade and possibly provide for the large Guyanese diaspora in Antigua. She went on to say that the purpose of the meeting was to find ways to facilitate the trade show and opportunities to extend the relationship beyond the trade show.
The idea to host another trade show in Antigua was birthed by Ramsey Ali, the chairman of the GMC board of directors. Ali stated that over the last few years, the government and the private sector have invested in marketing Guyanese products in Guyana by having a number of exhibitions across the country. Ali mentioned that he has been seeing more local products on in stores in Guyana and the intention of this upcoming trade show in Antigua is to take the Guyanese agro-processing industry to the next level.
Greene stated that the fact that GMC will be embarking on a trade show for the third time in Antigua shows that Guyana has found a good market in Antigua. Greene on behalf of the Government of Antigua welcomed the trade show, “On behalf of the Prime Minister and the other cabinet ministers I want to welcome ‘Guyana on Show Part Three’ to Antigua, here’s hoping that you establish good sustainable links and business contacts and simply to draw our region closer” Greene said. The Minister urged the GMC to ensure all the products which will be taken to the trade are properly labelled and packaged and that the products are of a high standard. “I think it’s a very exciting period of Caribbean history when we have been challenged from all sides and I think we have to understand that working together is our only solution,” Greene added. He encouraged persons present at the meeting to listen to an Antiguan calypso which was penned by him and will be released soon which speaks about integration being the Caribbean’s only solution.
The trade show will see approximately 30 agro-processors and manufacturers from Guyana featuring their fresh food and processed food products along with hand crafts and garments. Sealey-Adams told Stabroek News that as long as the products from the processors and manufacturers are up to standard, they will join the team in Antigua. She also said that the estimated cost so far for the trip is $7 million and GMC has reached out to a number of private companies and has so far received support from Caribbean Airlines and various freight services for lower rates to facilitate the trip.
