GEORGETOWN, Guyana, (DPI) – Two containers of locally produced agro‑processed goods are destined for Caribbean markets, in what president Dr Irfaan Ali describes as a concrete step in turning farm output into export-driven wealth for households and communities.
In-depth end-of-year conversation with five female journalists and students at the Railway Courtyard on Tuesday, the president outlined an integrated economic and social model aimed at reducing poverty, expanding household wealth and building a diversified, resilient economy for all Guyanese.
Agro‑processing breakthrough
“You are seeing it at the Christmas markets and across the country: single mothers and small processors improving their products,” President Ali said. “Today, we have just negotiated two containers of agro‑processed goods going into the Caribbean.”
He stressed that this shipment is not a symbolic gesture but a practical outcome of policies designed to transform Guyana into a competitive, diversified economy that places families, farmers, young people and small businesses at the centre of national growth.
Linking villages to regional markets
President Ali said the agro‑processing breakthrough reflects deliberate policies to incentivise agriculture, empower small producers, particularly women, and link village‑level production to regional and global markets.
Because Guyana is fast becoming an important food supplier in the Caribbean, he disclosed that discussions are underway to establish a commercial arm of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) that would integrate food production with the CARICOM market.
President Ali cited a recent discussion with the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, “where a group of young Antiguans are investing in transport capabilities and are looking to Guyana as a key supplier of food into their domestic system.”
Entrepreneurship and mindset change
Building on this, the president announced that the Guyana Development Bank will be used to introduce entrepreneurship education in schools, teaching students how to form consortia and develop bankable ideas from an early age. He emphasised that the development Guyana is experiencing demands a shift in the national mindset.
“Wealth creation is not accidental. It is planned at the national level through policies and programmes and felt at the community level,” he said, warning against attitudes that reduce productivity during this critical phase of development.
President Ali underscored that the shipment of agro-processed goods is not symbolic but a practical outcome of policies aimed at transforming Guyana into a competitive, diversified economy, one that places families, farmers, young people and small businesses at the centre of national growth.
Food security and investor confidence
Turning to food security, president Ali noted that while regional targets have been affected by hurricanes, climate shocks and post‑pandemic demand, Guyana has made tremendous strides. Poultry, livestock, egg, aquaculture, corn and soya production have all expanded, with exports to the wider Caribbean expected within two years.
The president announced that international investors are now actively pursuing opportunities in large-scale livestock, swine production, sugar refining, ethanol, mega farms and hydroponics, reflecting growing confidence in Guyana’s policy environment.
“Guyana is now seen as a country with a serious policy agenda and a strong ecosystem that supports agriculture and food production,” president Ali said.
