AHEAD of the Rupununi Rodeo celebration in Lethem, a group of agro-processors in Region 9 (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) were provided with packaging and labelling material and trained on their importance.

The training was made possible through the collaboration of the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC); the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest) and the Small Business Bureau (SBB).

Several agro-processors and potential agro-processors showed up on Thursday at the Lethem Conference Hall from areas such as Tabatinga, Lethem, St. Ignatius, Moco Moco Settlement, Tiger Pond and Karasabai.

“We have a lot of groups in the Rupununi area that are doing processed foods, so we wanted to work with them and their packaging and labelling. We are sharing information how to package; what the package should include, [and] what information should be on the labels. We’ve also brought packaging materials [such as] bottles, labels, containers and plastic bags. So, we’re not just giving them the information; we’re also giving then samples of the packaging and labelling,” said Senior Export Promotion Officer at GO-Invest, Uchenna Gibson.

Agriculture Business Development Officer at GMC, Johan David explained that months in advance, the team of facilitators gathered the product information of the attendees in order to present them with the materials at the training.

“We also prepared banners for them; business cards; business card holders, and all of this was in an effort to ensure that their display, come rodeo, is better than the year before,” David explained.

The Rupunini Rodeo takes place from April 19-22, 2019 and is known to be a period where tourists visit from here at home and abroad to partake in a number of exciting activities such as bull riding, pageants, wild cow milking and more.

“In many instances, their inability to properly package and label their products acts as a hindrance to customers buying it or trusting the products that they see,” David said, adding:

“This was really an opportunity for us to showcase to them what the possibilities are.”
This time around, GMC and GO-Invest also included training on internal exporting and barcodes, the latter of which provides instant information when scanned.
“We have a lot of small producers who are just making stuff and selling in their area, but we also shared with them matters regarding exporting. We don’t mean exporting to another country but exporting from the Rupununi to Georgetown,” Gibson said.
At the end of the training, several of the participants were able to articulate what they learnt, and expressed gratitude for the session.

“This training benefits me good, because now I know how to package my things. I can label it, and I learned a lot today,” said Moco Moco Settlement farmer, Ben Smith.

Meanwhile, Jorna Peters from J&W Natural Products in Lethem said: “I learned especially about the labeling of stuff; how to present your stuff and the labelling of the facts of what you put in the product and a lot more things. I want to say thank you to the group who taught us good things of how to improve our business and get more money.”

Those attending from the Region also discussed issues relating to food safety, and the legal requirements of establishing a business.

Soon, the agencies will visit other areas in the region and country, as they aim to empower Guyanese, despite their location, to receive better returns from their product (s) through efficient marketing.