A five-year push to modernise Guyana’s agriculture sector has paid off, nearly doubling average net incomes for participating farmers, stakeholders said at the close-out of the Market Actor and Donor Project on Tuesday.
The project, also referred to as Guyana Agriculture Connect, was executed by the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) in partnership with the World University Service of Canada (WUSC), funded through Global Affairs Canada’s Sustainable Agriculture in the Caribbean (SAC) initiative. The close-out event was held at the GCCI Secretariat.
Head of Cooperation at the High Commission of Canada, Adam Loyer, said participants reported some of the highest income increases and climate-smart agriculture adoption rates recorded across the SAC project’s Caribbean countries.
GCCI Secretary and Agriculture Committee Chairperson Brian Edwards, who led the initiative, noted that it was designed to bridge gaps between traditional farming and modern markets by building cohesive ecosystems linking producers, buyers, financial institutions and support agencies. The project prioritised access for SME farmers, women, youth and historically underserved groups.
GCCI President Kathy Smith said the programme supported the Chamber’s broader agricultural development goals, empowering women across all 10 regions. She said GCCI has since partnered with the Government to provide 100 women in agriculture with shade houses, describing the concluded project as “phase one.”
WUSC Caribbean Director Doug Graham credited the project’s success to sustained collaboration between government, private sector and farmer groups.
The initiative involved the Ministry of Agriculture and its agencies, the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry, the Small Business Bureau, the Tourism and Hospitality Association and Massy Stores. GCCI said it intends to build on the project to keep the sector inclusive.
