OVER 45 Guyanese businesses ranging from agro-processors to furniture manufacturers and jewellers will be part of the Guyana delegation participating in Barbados’ upcoming “AgroFest”, which is slated to be held at Queen’s Park, Barbados, from May 26-29.
The Guyanese delegation to the AgroFest is being organised by the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) in collaboration with the Private Sector Commission (PSC) and the government.
Though individual Guyanese businesses would have attended AgroFest on their own in the past, this year will be the first time the government and private sector are collaborating to have an official delegation at the event.
This delegation will be providing the opportunity for many up and coming businesses owned by young entrepreneurs to be given the chance to showcase their products internationally.
Khayr Organics, headed by young entrepreneur, 23-year-old Earlecia Hieronymo, is one such business. Hieronymo shared that it fits well into her business plans to expand the reach of her products.
“I feel anxious, I don’t know what to expect but I am heading into the opportunity with positivity, and I am going there to be able to network and expand my reach into the Caribbean regions since that is one of my long-term goals for Khayr Organics,” Hieronymo shared.

Hieronymo started Khayr Organics at the beginning of 2020, with a focus to provide plant-based manufacturing companies that provide hair and skin care solutions, as well as self-care and wellness products to persons desirous of seeking mental and physical wellness.
“We emphasise on the holistic approach to wellness; we don’t just focus on products alone but we focus on the entire experience, making sure that persons who use our products are grounded in the mental and physical health,” Hierynomo said.
While Khayr will be among those newer, small businesses that will be part of the delegation, the contingent will also include more seasoned establishments such as Mohamed’s Manufacturing, the makers of Peppy’s line of products.
Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle, Managing Director, Saleema Mohamed, shared that her company already exports to a number of Caribbean countries and is hopeful that attendance at the exhibition will open a door for them to export to Barbados.
“I’m hoping to get a good turn out because we want to extend our market reach in the regional market. I don’t have anybody in Barbados distributing our products, so we are excited to be part of AgroFest,” Mohamed shared.
Mohamed’s Manufacturing has been in business since 1971, having first started out with just three products and now producing over 50 different products under its Peppy’s Brand. The company currently exports to St Martin, Anguilla, Antigua and Suriname, while it also has very big customer base countrywide in Guyana.
AgroFest is a major investment exhibition on the island, with more than 12,000 persons passing through each year. It will see a display of culture, food, sport, agriculture, and timber products
The organising of a delegation to the event came following visits between Guyana and Barbados in March, where the GMSA and PSC hosted a special Barbadian delegation in an effort to deepen bilateral connections between Guyana and Barbados.
The visiting delegation included Special Envoy of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Barbados to Guyana and Suriname, Alphea Wiggins and Consultant of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Security of Barbados, Dr. Leroy McClean.
The visit and cooperation are as a result of the St. Barnabas Accord which was signed by President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali and Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, in October, and seeks to create one domestic space between both countries in areas across multiple sectors.
The Barbadian delegation visit would have included stops at a number of manufacturing businesses. This included a visit to furniture manufacturer GuyAmerica, which was also invited to be part of the delegation when Wiggins was impressed by the quality of the furniture.
Owner of GuyAmerica, Mohamed Haniff, said that he too is looking forward to using the exhibition as a means of getting a foot into the door of the Bajan market and widen his market reach.