By Hugh McLean

The Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) is a government corporation established under section 46 of the Public Corporations Act, Cap 19:05 of the Laws of Guyana that has been working assiduously over the years to promote the cultivation and export of Guyana’s non-traditional crops to Regional and Extra-Regional markets.

The GMC believes that if they continue to support local and eat local, they would be able to create job opportunities and have a healthy Guyana. Their local manufacturers utilise their local fruits and vegetables which produce value-added products for them. They will also continue to support and market products for their farmers, exporters and local manufacturers of non-traditional agriculture produce.

Shevon Nedd, Public Relations officer, shared with the Pepperpot Magazine that the local manufacturer can have their product s “shelved” in their Guyana Shop.

“We have over 700 local products in our local supermarket, such as wine, pepper sauce, honey,” said Nedd. “ We also have a brokerage department for our exporters, since we work closely with them, when they are exporting to a different country, they can go to our brokerage officer who will prepare all the documents for them.”

They also have an extension department where officers will go to see the farmers and what they have on the ground. There are extension officers in almost all of the regions.
“ We help them get their produce or products marketed as long as they have their requirements, such as having their food and drug license, their product is of good quality and their business registration, their products will be shelved in our Guyana Shop,” posited Nedd.  “ This helps them because they have somewhere to put products and don’t have to go looking far and beyond for a place to market their products. We even help them get into other supermarkets such as bounty, survival and other supermarkets.”

The GMC also attends events and on those events, they showcase these agro-products which give them exposure. They also have their “market day” and this is where they showcase almost all of their products. The organisation also observes “Agriculture Month” which is in October, where they have a list of activities occurring such as their, Guyana  Shop Opening Anniversary and possibly another “market day”.

Kevin Macklingam, the Guyana Shop manager, said that the Guyana Shop was mandated about six years ago and that their job is to partner with other local supermarkets within the regions.

“Specific supermarkets that have come aboard with us, in the assistance in promoting local products, we supply them local products at the manufacturer’s cost so that they will have it accessible to the public or in their community,” he said. “ Some persons are reluctant because it is a very difficult job to get Guyanese to buy local because they got this tendency that ‘once it’s foreign, it’s better’ but our products are much healthier and most of them don’t  have the MGO[Magnesium Oxide] in them and it’s fresh.”

They have approximately 70 agro-processers ranging from very small manufacturers to the industrial ones such as Banks DIH, Sterling and Twins. The industries in Guyana have to source their equipment, such as the bottle, caps, glass to put their condiments in; it increases the cost of the product.

“While foreign producers get theirs at a lower cost, our local manufacturers have to import almost everything, which increases the cost for the product and everything has to be certified by the Food and Drugs Department and the license has to be renewed annually,” he said.

Celestine Butters, Packaging Manager, said that they will continue to support local businesses and also eat local foods and create job opportunities for a healthy Guyana.
“With our fruits and vegetables, our farmers would be planting, he would create a job for himself and others and then we take it to the local and foreign markets and taking it to the foreign markets, we will receive foreign exchange currency,” she said.

The GMC is seeking to expand its markets and hopes to do so through a World Trade Day event. This event, which is planned for the near future will be held in Antigua in an aim to “spread their wings of opportunity” in that country.