Investing in Guyana’s Agricultural Sector
G
uyana is believed to have produced more than $75B worth of vegetables and related food, apart from locally consumed meat and dairy products in 2013.
Despite this number, Guyana’s food import bill is a staggering $30B annually-- a reflection of the vast opportunities for investment in the production of substitutes for the imported food commodities. Guyana’s Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, has been leading the charge for more local and international investors to become involved in the agriculture sector and has developed Guyana’s Vision for Agriculture 2020, a long term strategy to propel the sector. The strategy seeks to change the view that agriculture is for subsistence livelihood and promote agriculture as a wealth generator and entrepreneurial enterprise, producing food and non-food commodities to meet local and export demands. A major objective of the new strategy is to reduce food import and substitute with locally produced food. AGRICULTURE STRATEGY The Agriculture Strategy 2013-2020 is based on an F-5 strategic approach: • • •
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Food Security – Consolidate the gains in the Hungry-Free Initiative in Guyana, ensure everyone has enough food in every community, every day Fiber and Nutritious Food Accessible by citizens – Nutrition Security for All Fuel Production - help to develop alternative fuel sources, reduce dependency on fossil fuel and create a Bio-Energy Industry in Guyana