A local company, Alki Investment Inc, is seeking investors for large-scale agricultural projects in Region Two in keeping with government’s initiative to promote large-scale development in close alignment with its Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).
In a release on Friday, Alki Investment Inc announced that its Pomeroon-Akawini Land Development Project, which comprises 8,000 acres of flat, fertile land in Pomeroon-Supenaam, Region Two is ready for key investments in the agriculture sector in keeping with the LCDS. It is expected that such investments will promote modern methods and technologies that can adapt to changing climate and economic conditions. The company is coordinating investments at the site and also providing start-up support to international investors.
Speaking on behalf of his company, Guyanese businessman, Ivor Allen, pointed out, “The land is ideal for agricultural development because it is flat and arable with ample rainfall and sunshine. Also, it is situated between the Aka-wini and Pomeroon Rivers, which means there is all-year access to abundant freshwater resources… and the flatness of the surface is great for the installation and maintenance of drainage and irrigation systems.”
He added, “The site’s unique mix of advantages offers once-in-a-lifetime investment opportunities in agriculture, aquaculture, livestock rearing, agro-processing and packaging, and all sorts of spin-off ventures… the land is close to land and river transport routes, which facilitates the movement of inputs and produce to local, regional and international markets, and there is a readily-available workforce in nearby communities,”
Alki Investment stated that it is ready for an investment partner “to forge a collaboration that drives the critical investments needed for large-scale agriculture development.” As such, the company participated in the Ministry of Agriculture’s inaugural Agri-Investment Forum and Expo highlighting the Pomeroon-Akawini site’s advantages that would be of interest to investors. The features the company showcased at the exhibition are: a tropical climate and hospitable topography; flat land with delicate-but-firm seedbed fertility; ample freshwater and sunlight; excellent drainage and irrigation; good water-holding capacity; easy access to transportation routes; proximity to local, regional, and international markets, and a readily-available workforce.
The release explained that the project is a “conceptual idea” in unison with government’s initiative to promote large-scale development in close alignment with the LCDS, which is focussed on diversifying the productive sectors of the economy and encouraging investments in environmentally-sustainable projects. As such, the company expects the project to strengthen the entire rural economy via “the productive transformation of the hinterland,” which will bring massive poverty-reduction and community-enhancement benefits in keeping with the goals of the Government of Guyana.
The land-development approach adopted by Alki Investment Inc aims to prioritise investments that will trigger economic opportunities for Guyanese, and increase the competitiveness, inclusiveness and sustainability of local value chains. The company will also seek investments that propel improvements in production, processing, storage, quality-enhancing technologies, as well as those that mitigate risks resulting from climate change. Significantly, it was pointed out, the project also has enormous capacity to generate important training and technical assistance for residents of Essequibo in vital areas such as natural resources management, water, soil, renewable energy and agro-diversity.
In order to maximise the efficiency and effectiveness of land development arrangements and activities at the site, Alki Investment Inc has taken the initiative to assist both on-board and prospective investors with setting up the necessary engagements with government agencies and local authorities, the release added.
