From its ordinary beginning ‘many moons’ ago, deriving as it did from the creation of eatable concoctions comprising ‘processed’ fruit and vegetables, the final product intended as much for eating on the streets from scraps of paper to consuming at home as treats or as an offering on the breakfast agenda, products which, these days are derive from what is termed Agro Processing have stood the test of time, persistently re-inventing and refining its final products. Agro-processing has, over time, excited the taste buds of young and old even as the products, specifically, their marketing have made meaningful contributions to the economies of many homes.
These days, Agro Processing has undergone a range of metamorphoses; recipes, product preparation, the wide range of fruit and vegetables which the process has embraced and, more recently, the refinement of the finished product as in its product presentation. The transformation in the marketing of agro-processed products is, in itself, a remarkable story. If you search long and hard enough you may yet find trays on street corners where vendors still ‘do’ a not so thriving business offering an assortment of fruit-based syrups and ‘processed’ fruit. Agro processing has gone much further, the advancements in the industry having thrown up specialized machinery for manufacturing and other eye-catching elements that include packaging and labeling.
Here in Guyana, too, agro processing has ‘moved on.’ There are ‘factories’ provided by both private investors and by the state that have rendered the manufacturing process a virtual ‘cake walk.’ As the sector has grown it has offered opportunities for locally manufactured agro produce to be displayed or sold at public events. Over time the state has ‘chipped in’ with opportunities for local agro processors to market their goods in the Caribbean, and to a much more limited extent, in North America. If imported condiments still provide ‘stiff competition’ on local supermarket shelves the available evidence suggests that the surfeit of local agro processors who have now immersed themselves in the business refuse to go away.
Over time the local agro-processing sector has done well in re-inventing itself, perhaps its dogged persistence in raising its game a function of the role by the Guyana National Bureau of Standards in the creation of a much sought standards rating that does not go unnoticed on the local and international markets. Nikeisha Roberts is one of a host of Guyanese women who have transformed agro-processing into an entrepreneurial pursuit. Her trading name, Mursia’s Preservable Products, speaks for itself. Green Seasoning, Pepper Sauce, Minced Garlic, Peeled Garlic and Grated Ginger are her products of choice. These, it has to be said, are not random choices, they are the outcomes of informal but usually effective ‘market research’ pursuits.
Not infrequently, successful excursions into agro-processing begin in ‘at home’ domestic kitchens where ‘spices’ intended for the ‘family pot’ eventually find their way, first, into ‘tasting events,’ and, having encountered their fair shares of effusive comments, are gradually deemed to be ‘good enough’ for the wider market. Nickeisha’s eventual choices were influenced to a large extent during her employment at a Supermarket. It was here that she observed that peeled garlic was a ‘good seller.’ She went ‘one better,’ offering minced garlic which was positioned alongside the Green Seasonings. She favoured La Penitence Market as the venue for her own routine marketing and it was from this vantage point that she began to observe the large numbers of shoppers that converged there.
It was this that influenced her shift to market vending. Trading at La Penitence was “good” but Nickeisha wanted “better than good.” It was at this juncture that she made two decisions. Incrementally, she added peeled garlic, pepper sauce and grated ginger to her line of products and expanded her operation to include Mon Repos and Plaisance markets. It was at this juncture that customer appeal was translated into recommendations that she have her products evaluated by the Government Food & Drugs Analyst Department for the National Quality Standards Award. Now brimming with confidence she moved to have her products secure shelf space at the Guyana Marketing Corporation’s Guyana Shop. It was at this stage of her business pursuits that she quit her supermarket job and catapulted herself into the much more demanding but more rewarding role by becoming an Agro Processor. Two years down the road Nickeisha has transformed herself into a thriving Agro Processor.
One of Nickeisha‘s prouder moments up to this time has been her attendance at local product promotion events. She singles out the 2023 GUYEXPO and this year’s We Lift event held in March as the most pleasing appearances. Nickeisha says other agro processors encouraged her to join the Georgetown Manufacturing and Service Association (GMSA) to ‘sign up’ for participation in the forthcoming UNCAPPED event. Determined to be the best she can be Nickeisha has undergone a period of training with ActionCoach. The course itself was titled “Road to Growth.’ Currently, she is participating in a Hospitality and Tourism training programme sponsored by GOAL. Over time Nickeisha has also participated in other GMSA-staged programmes.
Nickeisha has been the recipient of a ($200,000) dollars grant from the Small Business Bureau which she has invested in the acquiring of inventory that includes containers and raw material associated with her production process. Her feet, it seems, are now firmly set on an entrepreneurial path.
