THE Pomeroon Women’s Agro-Processors Association (PWAPA) will represent Guyana at the Barbados regional contest for rural innovative projects to be held next month.
This was disclosed by Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud on Wednesday and he stressed that linkages and synergies are a must to develop economies of scale as the association grows and increases its market share. The regional contest for Rural Innovative Projects is a regional competition aimed at the identification of projects that promote rural enterprise and innovation at the grassroots level with the potential of replication and expansion at the regional level.
Persaud explained that the Ministry of Agriculture under the Agriculture Diversification Programme (ADP) entered the PWAPA in the contest last November and was selected as one of five finalists.
Two representatives from the PWAPA are expected to attend, one sponsored by the organisers and the other by the Ministry of Agriculture. The other participating countries included Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.
The theme of the forum is ‘Micro-enterprise development, income generating activity and innovation’ and focuses on Youth Rural Enterprises (agricultural and non-agricultural), Micro-credit and Innovation and Transformation of Agriculture.
The minister reassured of the ministry’s commitment to the development of micro-enterprises in the agriculture sector.

FINANCING
Persaud pointed to the fact that the PWAPA will benefit soon from a special three-year financial facility of some $220M, $180M in grants and $40M in low interest loans.
Under the Rural Enterprise and Agriculture Development (READ) Project is the recently established Enterprise Development Fund (EDF), through which the support to small farmers is being provided. The EDF will be administered by the Institute of Private Enterprise Development (IPED).
The Agriculture Minister contends that financing has been and still is a challenge, but noted the current administration’s recognition of this through the provision of a special window for small farmers.
With improved financial support, he said the small farmers in particular will be able to bring their productive activities in line with the innovations of the 21st Century – allowing both capital expenditures to improve infrastructure, as well as the expansion of their operations.
Persaud stressed that with support micro-enterprises can advance to focus on value added, developing enterprises in the community and, most importantly, be a source of income and livelihood.
“We will work with you,” he stressed.
Some of the other micro-enterprises supported by the Agriculture Ministry include: the Parika/ Nayamryck/Ruby Farmers’ Progressive Organisation, the Garden of Eden Farmers from Good Success, the West Berbice Sheep and Goat Farmers Association and the Young Women’s Christian Association in West Berbice, among others.
Even as Persaud made assurances of support, he made it clear that support, expressly financial support, is expected to assist micro-enterprises to get off the ground with their advancement.
He said, “It is up to you to sustain the developments you make.”

GOOD PLATFORM
Former Chairperson of the PWAPA, Ms. Vilma De Silva, told the Guyana Chronicle that being selected to participate at the regional level gives the Association a good platform to advance the progress they have made to date.
“It is a good boost for our group…for some of the women in our group this is their only source of income. The exposure will give us an idea of how far we have come and inform our vision for the future,” she said.
Recently appointed Chairperson of the PWAPA, Ms. Rosamund Benn, added that the regional contest is an opportunity to quicken the pace of the association’s advancement.
The group specialises in both the production and packaging of preserved carambola, pepper sauce, cherry, seasoning sauce, which is also a by product of carambola, spicy mango chutney, green mango achar, malacca wine and virgin coconut oil, which is processed from the local coconut.
In 2001, the women’s group, comprising 15 members, became fully functional, primarily venturing to enable women, and started with funding from the Government of Guyana and Go- Invest.
Other donor agencies continue to support the group, which operates from Charity in what was a once an abandoned co-op building that has been converted to a factory.
The Ministry of Agriculture has placed greater emphasis on agro-processing and has being collaborating with agro-processors from across the country.