— fourth edition of UncappeD Marketplace hears

THE packaging and presentation of locally-made products have significantly improved over the years, said Business Minister Dominic Gaskin and Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) Vice President, Ramsay Ali, at the fourth edition of UncappeD Marketplace on Sunday.

The GMSA initiative was hosted on the tarmac of the Guyana National Stadium and saw some 90 exhibitors showcasing packaged food items, art and craft, body and hair products, produce, fruits and plants.

Scores of persons attended the event which has come to be known as an ideal opportunity for small businesses and entrepreneurs to promote their brands.

Speaking with the media on the sidelines, Minister Gaskin said he is pleased with the turnout and the general marketing of items which improves more and more each year.
“Three years ago there were a lot of things in plastic bags with a little printed paper pasted on it [but] there is a lot more professionally packaged products [here today]. They can stand next to any imported product on the shelf of local supermarkets,” the minister said.
He added: “I’m seeing in all those sectors, little by little, that there is work being done.

People are producing more. Guyana today is producing more than it was five years ago. I am seeing it and I think local consumers are seeing more and more locally produced products which make us all proud.”

The sentiments were shared by GMSA’s Vice President, Ramsay Ali.
“If one were to check from the last four years to now, we’ve had significant improvement in the packaging in terms of products; in terms of extension of product lines because of the quality of the products. We’ve had many more of these agro-processers having their products in supermarkets in Guyana and we’ve even had successes of them being able to export.”

With the improvement in presentation and packaging highly visible, Gaskin said what is needed next is for these businesses to begin accessing export markets.
The minister noted that while some of the business owners he interacted with have begun efforts towards this end, greater progress is needed and the Ministry of Business remains committed to assisting in ways it can.

“We want, as a government, to work with them; we want to work with the private sector and the GMSA, whose brainchild this event is, and who has really brought it to what it is today. We’d like to continue working with them and see how we can encourage some of these producers to get their markets out of Guyana,” he stressed.
Gaskin also encouraged local supermarkets to continue placing more local products on their shelves as opposed to relying heavily on exported goods and items.

LOCAL BUY-IN
“Local supermarkets, five or 10 years ago, would have been carrying almost all imported products [but] are now carrying local products,” the minister pointed out.
“I know the New Guyana Store plays a very critical role in actually starting off new producers, getting their stuff out there but the big supermarkets, they also have a role to play. I think they’re playing a role, they’re taking on a lot of stuff and if you go around and you ask, a lot of what you see here on display today is actually available in supermarkets. To me, that’s a success story and I think Uncapped, the event itself, has made a difference over the last few years as well as all the other expos,” he said.

Apart from the government, another main sponsor of the event is ExxonMobil.
“We hope that this type of initiative just continues to highlight the wonderful small businesses owner that are here and help them to actually build capacity working together and network so that others can be able to support local vendors,” ExxonMobil’s Senior Director of Public and Government Affairs, Deedra Moe told media operatives.
Speaking to a few of the small business owners present, the Guyana Chronicle got a feel of what it meant for them to be able to display their products at the expo.

“It will help my business because I get the kind of publicity I need free of cost, thanks to the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association. It helps us to grow because people see who we are and what we’ve been manufacturing locally,” said Ulene Garraway of Abbie’s Agro Processing who displayed bottled and canned fruits and vegetables.
Desmond Hollingsworth told the newspaper that he has been in the craft business for over 50 years and this is his first year at UncappeD Marketplace.

He pointed to the many self-made wooden sculptures, craft, carvings, towel racks and more for which he has won a European award.
He stated: “I hope that people will start recognising the craft that we have in Guyana and purchase when they can.”

Meanwhile, farmer out of the community of Mocha on the East Bank Demerara, Wayne Gordon, said the inclusion of farmers in this year’s event has allowed for a fresh set of eyes to be laid on his organically grown produce.

“I plant organic food. I plant with ash and water, no fertiliser,” he said. “I would be glad for them to get more farmers on board because we would be able [to] bring more to display.”
Surrounded by a wide array of indoor and outdoor plants, Monica David said it was her first time at UncappeD but that she has been in the plant business since 2009.

Noting that she, too, utilises the organic way to grow plants, she expressed appreciation for the event and the opportunity to display her hard work.

There are two other similar events planned for the year in Leonora, West Coast Demerara in August and in Albion, East Berbice-Corentyne at the end of the year.