THE Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) will exhibit Guyana’s products at the Caribbean Week of Agriculture which will be held in Bridgetown, Barbados.

In a recent press briefing, Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), Nigel Cumberbatch, noted that this will be something big for Guyana as it pertains to the progress that the country has made in the agro-processing industry.
“I think that will be one of the highlights for us because, when you look around the Region and see what agro-processing is done and more often than not, we think that we are really far behind, but we are not in some cases and its good for us to be able to showcase it so persons could see it,” Cumberbatch stated.

The event will be held under the theme, “Caribbean week of agriculture 2018: Strengthening agriculture for a healthier future in the Region.”

The Caribbean Week of Agriculture, which will run during the period October 8 to October 12, is an activity coordinated by the Alliance. The Alliance is made up of The Caribbean Community (CARICOM), The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO); the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA); and Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

The event offers a forum for ministers of agriculture, Caribbean organisations, planners and other major agricultural stakeholders in the public and private sectors of the Caribbean to meet; meet for the purpose of discussing major issues affecting the agricultural sector in the Caribbean Region.
Among the topics to be covered under the official workshops to be led are Development of the Regional Coconut Industry; Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship; The School Feeding Programme; Climate Resilience in the Agriculture and Fisheries Sectors; and Small Ruminants.

According to Cumberbatch, Guyana will be represented by several individuals, including officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and persons relevant to the topics that will be discussed.

“Several activities are slated for that week and for each activity, various individuals from the Ministry of Agriculture and Guyana as a whole will be invited and sponsored,” Cumberbatch said.

Caribbean Week of Agriculture was first held in Trinidad and Tobago in 1999.