GUYANESE produce ‘farine’ is gaining in popularity with its own niche market, outside of its traditional users, those in the hinterland community, and to increase its usage government is set to build what has been described as a full-phased factory for the processing of the item made from cassava, with the first facility to be installed in Region 9 later this year.

Minister of Agriculture Dr. Leslie Ramsammy alluded to the fact that many of the hinterland residents depend on cassava for not only food security, but for a livelihood. “I am happy to report that the Guyana farine which is almost exclusively produced in the hinterland is becoming popular outside of our borders. Whilst Brazil, for example, produces its own farine, Guyana’s farine is becoming a niche market in Brazil”. He added that the locally produced product is now gaining attention in the Caribbean market. This provides an opportunity for the semi-industrialisation of the cassava industry, Minister Ramsammy said.
This can move the crop’s production from a subsistence level to an actual industry, he posited.
Farine production is traditionally done by indigenous women, who use their hands to harvest cassava, clean, peel and squeeze the tuber to produce the product. The Agriculture Ministry has assisted several communities by providing grinders to ease their task, but the minister said this new move takes that assistance a step further.
The crop gives farmers an average of two tonnes per acre, according to Dr Ramsammy, but it is normally grown nine to 10 months annually. There are varieties of cassava that can result in yields of up to 30 tonnes annually, but if farmers can double their production they can also double their incomes without additional investment or work.
The Agriculture Ministry is partnering with IICA, the National Agriculture Research and Extension Institute, the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority and Guysuco’s Apprentice School situated in Port Mourant, to ensure the pre-fabricated components of the processors are properly constructed with local materials.