The Guyana Government has maintained its commitment to ensuring the export industry continues to thrive and as such stakeholders in the agricultural sector continue to receive assistance from the administration to boost their efforts to diversify the sector by exploring new and modern interventions.
The latest move by the administration to boost and fulfill the demands for non-traditional crops in the export market was evident with the commissioning of a $17M cold storage facility at the packaging facility in Parika, Region 3.
Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud said that this significant venture that has taken the sector onto a higher level and forms part of a $171M ‘cold storage project’ agreement between the Governments of Guyana and Venezuela .
He noted that agreement between the two Governments will also witness the construction of a cold storage facility at the Cheddi International Airport to cater for small and large producers and exports in and around the Timehri, Soesdyke and other areas in Region 10.
He noted that this move to build the cold storage facility at the CJIA will complement Government’s plan to export non-traditional crops by air to small Caribbean countries such as Martinique and Antigua . The new cold storage facility at Parika will cater for exports via the sea.
Minister Persaud  added that Government is contemplating transforming Parika into an export hub once all the necessary logistics are in place such as the custom and trade department.
“Many of you may have known that we have embarked on a national diversification programme, where emphasis is being placed on other crops other than traditional rice and sugar, because for too long we have relied on rice and sugar and not withstanding the many challenges in the rice and sugar industry, Government with its massive strategic plans was able to overcome those hurdles and move ahead with progression,” Minister Persaud said.
Government has recognised the potential for other crops, livestock and aquaculture in the development of the country and as such has been channelling substantial amounts of resources to provide the necessary infrastructure, technical assistance and training to equip farmers with necessary skills to explore and venture into new opportunities in the agricultural sector.
“This pursuit by the Government to modernise the agricultural diversification thrust in our country has already begun to produce favourable results,” Minister Persaud said.
He noted that the export of non-traditional crop continues to grow annually and to date Guyana has recorded an increase of 50 percent of production of agricultural non- traditional produce in the first half of 2010, despite the many challenges that the sector was exposed to during the El Nino phenomenon.
This he noted was possible only through the resilience, dedication and hard work of farmers, throughout the country.
“If we look at the export numbers it is even much more impressive; the official agricultural export for the first half of this year is 60 percent of what we would have exported for the entire 2009 and that is only for non traditional crops,” Minister Persaud said.
When this upward trend continuous to manifest itself in the agricultural sector government becomes even more encouraged to pursue other friendly Governments such as the United States, Brazil , China ,India and  Venezuela to invest more  in the sector.
Chief Executive Officer of Caribbean Container Inc (CCI) Ronald Webster, who was present at the commissioning ceremony while commending the Ministry of Agriculture and the Guyana Marketing Corporation for the venture, underscored the importance of exporting quality produce to meet international standards.
He noted that Guyana must be proud of what it produces and that every produce that is ready to export must bear the country’s flag.
Minister Persaud urged farmers present to take full advantage of the facilities across the country that are being provided by the Government and to continue to cooperate with the Guyana Marketing Corporation in making this venture a success.
The first packaging facility was commissioned 2001 at Sophia Exhibition complex and another in Parika in October 2008.