THE Pomeroon Women’s Agro-Processors Association has, over the years, been growing from strength to strength, and continues to be a source of economic empowerment for women farmers in that riverine community.Situated at Lot L, Charity-Pomeroon, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), the Association was established in 2001 to create employment for women and to improve their livelihoods. The women’s group is involved in producing and packaging pepper sauces, fruit mixes, achars and seasonings, and has more recently added Virgin coconut oil to their range of products.

Operations began as a basic bottom house facility, but, through funding, the group has been able to renovate an abandoned factory and its members have been able to organise themselves for production, packaging, labelling and marketing.

Initially, members voluntarily provided a substantial amount of labour utilised in the factory, with few individuals hired occasionally when production peaked. However, as operations grew to the production of seven products, the Association retained 10 members to man its operations, and is now looking to expand production to capture overseas markets and increase supplies locally.

A meltdown in gold and rice prices has thrown the proverbial spanner in the wheel of the women’s ambition even as it affected practically every aspect of business on the Essequibo Coast.

Hafeeza Rasheed, a 36-year-old mother of four and employee of the Association, told the Guyana Chronicle that a fall in demand for the Association’s products has significantly downsized its operations.

“Right now business is slow and total output of the Association has been cut by half. We are begging people to buy right now, and are praying for business to improve,” Rasheed said as she took this newspaper on a tour of the modest factory.

The women’s group buys fruits and vegetables from farmers residing mainly in the Pomeroon, and converts these to processed and packaged products which are sold mainly in the Pomeroon, on the Essequibo Coast and in Georgetown.

GO-INVEST
Rasheed said that on a number of occasions in the past, officials from GO-Invest visited the Association and discussed its supplying overseas markets, but there was never any meaningful follow-up on those discussions.
She remains optimistic that with help from the premier investment agency, the women’s group will be able to expand supply beyond these shores.

Rasheed performs multiple tasks at the processing house, which also houses the office of the Association. She helps in making some of the products, bottling, labelling, selling and distributing them. She also cleans the processing area, and does some bit of marketing.
“I love my job, though it can be tiresome at times,” she said. “It has helped me to support my family and the education of my children. I have three daughters; two have finished school and one wants to become a doctor. She is retaking Math and English, and my job helps me to pay her lesson fees.

“I want all my children to be successful in life,” the young mother said with pride.

Rasheed’s husband is a hire car operator who works on the Essequibo Coast. Like all fathers, he wants the best for his family, and is hoping that the downturn in gold and paddy prices does not worsen, according to the woman.

Business is not always smooth sailing, and if things do not improve, she said, the Association would be forced to lay off workers. At this time, she said, she can ill-afford to be on the breadline.

The mother of four has nevertheless been looking ahead. She said she joined the women’s group in 2007, and has since learnt about food processing, packaging and labelling of products; a little about marketing; and has represented the group at several local agriculture expositions. With the knowledge acquired, she is hoping to establish an agro-processing business, but from the look of things, it does not appear likely that this will happen anytime soon.

Current commitments to her family have caused her not to have the finances needed to pursue her dream, but she said it is a plan she will not put down.