AGRICULTURE Minister Zulfikar Mustapha on Friday met with a team of Kazakhstani investors from the Tree Energy company to discuss possible collaboration in the agriculture sector. Tree Energy is a manufacturer of solar-wind systems and hydro-electric power plants, that are focused on new technological developments in “green” energy. They are also known for designing and manufacturing cold-storage facilities powered by solar power and hydro-electricity.
During the meeting, Minister Mustapha told the delegation that the government is working to transform the production and food-supply chain. He added that government is working with farmers to extend the shelf life of fresh produce, reduce wastage and increase agro-processing through value- added mechanisms.

“We have an agency, the New Guyana Marketing Corporation, that will be procuring additional freezing trucks and cold-storage facilities this year. This is to assist farmers with reducing spoilage of fresh produce. We are also working to help our farmers transport and keep their produce in a better way. The New GMC is also responsible for guiding our agro-processors on how they can transform any surplus produce into value-added commodities. As it relates to your company and the services you offer, there are also a number of remote areas in the country that are earmarked for massive agricultural development and we’ll have to look into facilities to store, process and package these commodities within these regions,” Minister Mustapha said.

Minister Mustapha advised the team to develop a proposal with details on developing such a facility and have it submitted to his ministry for consideration.
Afa Zada, a member of the delegation, explained that with Guyana once again being seen as the bread basket of the Caribbean, the company was eager to meet with the minister to discuss avenues to partner with government to promote agricultural development in an energy-efficient way.
The team is scheduled to meet with officials from the New GMC in the new week to further discuss the possibility of collaborating on large-scale, smart agriculture initiatives.