Guyana and Cuba yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the provision of Agricultural and Forestry Technical Assistance Services here.
The objective of the MoU is to establish the general framework of cooperation between the Ministry of Agriculture of Cuba and the Ministry of Agriculture of Guyana in vegetable products, livestock and animal products, beekeeping, forestry and other areas of interest.
The MoU was signed on the second day of the 2023 Agri Investment Forum and Expo at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.
On Friday at the opening of the expo, President Irfaan Ali announced that a team from Cuba had arrived in connection with the MoU.
He said that he has made it very clear that he does not want any “studying relationship with anyone anymore” instead they are working to develop the honey industry.
The team that was present at the forum from Cuba will be working with the indigenous communities and communities where there are mangroves and on the highway so that Guyana can become a major producer of honey.
Against this backdrop, the president said that they will be incorporating training for the graduates of the University of Guyana and the Guyana School of Agriculture so that they are not finishing their studies looking for jobs but rather “coming out creating opportunities, creating jobs, creating wealth for yourself and the community in Guyana.”
The Agri Investment Forum and Expo opened on Friday under the theme ‘Accelerating vision 25 by 2025’, and saw several major projects and programmes being launched and MoUs being signed in keeping with Guyana’s and CARICOM’s efforts to further develop the agriculture sector and lower the Regional Food Import Bill by 25% by the year 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture said yesterday.
According to the Ministry, Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha also met with officials from several of the visiting delegations who requested meetings with him to discuss areas for investment in Guyana’s agriculture sector.
At the opening on Friday, Mustapha said that the forum not only represents a meeting of minds but a profound commitment to the future of agriculture in the Caribbean – a future that hinges on the critical importance of investments.
“Investments in agriculture are investments in the very bedrock of our nations, they are the seed of growth, the fruit for innovation, and the key to unlocking the vast potential of the agriculture sector”, he said.
Mustapha highlighted that the purpose of the forum is clear – to foster investments in the Caribbean’s agriculture sector that will intensify efforts to achieve Vision 25 by 2025.
Some of the projects highlighted by Mustapha were investments in the introduction of corn and soya beans production for the poultry industry that currently imports over US$25m worth in feed”, shade house technologies for high-valued crops, the expansion of coconut cultivation to meet the increasing demand for both water and dry coconuts, poultry diversification and constructing abattoirs to serve the cattle and swine sector.
“Investment in agribusiness plays a pivotal role in enhancing food security in our region by modernizing our agriculture practices, improving value chains, and leveraging technology and innovation we can bolster our capacity to produce, store and distribute food… In doing so we not only feed our people but also reduce our dependency and imports, enhance our resilience in the face of external shocks, and create new opportunities for economic growth”, he stated.
The expo, which ends today, showcases over 150 exhibitors and has attracted hundreds of people over the last two days.
