– says local agro-producers at Stabroek exhibition

EVEN as several African-Guyanese agro-processors showcased their locally made products as a part of an Emancipation exhibition at the Stabroek Market Square on Tuesday, the issue of Guyana’s need for better packaging arose.

The exhibition, hosted by the New Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) for the past five years, this year saw participation from over 20 Afro-Guyanese organisations.
Many of the business owners who braved the weather to participate in the event were happy to speak with the Guyana Chronicle about their products, many of which were laden with health benefits.

Bringing something new to the market was the ‘Eat to Live’ company, which had unconventional forms of achar made from golden apples, tamarind, sourie and sweet mangoes, apart from the common mango flavour.

The company also makes elder berry wine, seasoning and pepper sauce, many of which included the healthy products of basil leaves, turmeric, cayenne pepper and ginger.
“I used to sell food before I came into this [but I didn’t like the hassle], so I started doing this because of my children, when I made it at home one day and they said it tasted good. My husband encouraged me… we started with mango first and then we tried the other flavours and this is how everything came together,” said t business owner, Yonette McPherson.

However, she said there is need in Guyana for more bottles for better packaging as bottles are not manufactured locally, which severely affects small businesses.

“My biggest problem right now with my business is bottles. I need to approach supermarkets, but I cannot approach supermarkets with the containers that I have because its oil I use to preserve my product and it seeps to the top. So if I can get bottles, it would be better, but we don’t have any here,” she said.

Adding her voice to the issue was Joy February of the West Side Flavour company, who had on show crab oil products, cassareep and honey.
She agreed with McPherson.

“Sometimes accessing bottles would pose a problem. The smaller ones we import it and we buy the bigger ones from right in Guyana, but we’re looking to get cheaper bottles because people don’t want to actually pay when they hear the prices that they have to pay with the bottle and the product,” she said.
Meanwhile, John Luke, the owner of Luke’s Manufactures for some 11 years shared similar thoughts.

He, like the others, said one of the major challenges his business faces is packaging, which has stalled the possible branching off of his business to neighbouring Suriname.

“Every time we approach somewhere, one time we go and get a certain type of container that we’re looking for, but when we go back it’s a push around… it would be better if we can get it from Trinidad which is faster but the small businesses are working together to get it done… Suriname is willing to take up some of our products now the packages must meet that standard,” he told the newspaper.

Luke had on display natural products such as fruit wines, seasoning, roots and honey.
He operates in the village of Victoria, East Coast Demerara (ECD), but is now trying to set up a permanent building there and another in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) to create more job opportunities in the area.

However, he has not yet received a favourable response from the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), although he has been trying for some three years now for land on the East Coast.

“When I paid a visit [to the Pomeroon] what I saw, I didn’t like… so we’re trying to get the business to be bigger and better as we have the support. It’s not about myself; it is about job creation for the community and Guyanese citizens. Those that dropped out of school, with easy access, they can get a job,” he explained.

On a mission to encourage Guyanese to choose natural ways of skin care was Lois Hamilton-Rickford, who operates South American Coco Company.

She produces products that are made from extra virgin coconut oil as well as plantain, eddo and sweet potato flour for gluten-free baking.

“Our newest line of product, the aloe vera and coconut oil is very good for marks on the skin, boils and some people would bleach; but this is a good substance because it is a natural skin lightener,” she said.

Hamilton-Rickford added: “And the good thing about our oil is that it was made using absolutely no heat process which helps the oil to retain its full nutritional potential.”
Meanwhile, representative Joenitta Arthur told of the many health benefits of the Rainforest Honey product from Sun Crest Farm Inc. located at Non Pareil, ECD.

“This is the only honey is Guyana that is internationally certified to be 100 per cent pure and the benefits are numerous because… it’s not only a natural sweetener, but it has all the properties of natural honey,” she said.

Arthur added: “It’s a great remedy for cough and flu, you can use it on your skin, your hair and it’s good for cholesterol, it always works great for diabetic ulcers and persons who are diabetic can take it rather than using sugar that will raise their blood sugar.”

Overall, the event was a success, according to GMC Public Relations Officer Shevon Nedd.
“We intended to bring out persons to market good quality products that we have in the Guyana Shop and I think to an extent it was achieved, because persons came out and they’re asking questions about the products and they are shopping,” she said.
On the issue of packaging, she said the GMC assists with repackaging items, but the issue is still a challenging one.

“People do say that they have problems with the bottling. We don’t have the bottles here, they have to import it, so we just point them to where they can get it. So maybe that is where the challenge is,” she said.

As a part of its other efforts, the GMC helps businesses which have partnered with the company to get onto the shelves of the Guyana Shop and other supermarkets, while connecting them with other international exporters.