-Christmas baskets, garlic pork, hams, black cake, other products now available

THIS year, the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA), a facility that was conceptualised to satisfy a need for national agricultural training, has done it again. Presently, they have their best-selling items, garlic pork, chicken and pork ham, festive baskets and other meats on sale.

Assistant Manager of the Agro-Processing Department, Stacia McDonald, recently told the Guyana Chronicle that they have three different Christmas-promotion baskets: Jolly meat lovers, Festive Basket and Jingle Basket, all reasonably priced with essential meats and other items to make the perfect pot with all the necessary ingredients.

She reported that in addition to these, cook-up meat mix of ham, pickle pork, beef, pork and chicken foot, chicken and pork ham, garlic pork and black cake are also on sale.

McDonald stated that cassava and sweet potato flours are being produced at the GSA agro-processing facility at Agriculture Road, Triumph, East Coast Demerara. Additionally, since they do not have a bakery, they have partnered with ‘Our Daily Bread,’ which is based at Kersaint Park, La Bonne Intention, East Coast Demerara, to bake bread using 25 per cent of each of the above-mentioned flours, which are gluten-free with fibre, have excellent nutritional benefits for diabetics and provide a number of other health benefits.

She reported that the owner of the bakery, Robert Francis, is on board with the initiative to put cassava and sweet potato flour breads on the local market.

McDonald added that the bakery is assisting with the transfer of technology – mixing of the dough and also the baking of bread. They are also hoping to partner with other bakeries to produce more cassava and sweet potato flour breads.

Freshly baked sweet potato and cassava flour breads are delicious and nutritious. They can be purchased at the GSA agro-processing facility at a cost of $500.

McDonald told this publication that the GSA agro-processing plant was established about 40 years ago and was dormant for some time but in 2017, it was resuscitated to produce local products for the market. She said that subsequently, they began merchandising to supermarkets and shops countrywide.

She related that seven years ago, the Christmas Promotion started and due to the demand for the baskets and other products, they decided to keep the tradition alive by producing more high-quality products.

She pointed out that in 2023, GSA introduced the garlic pork and chicken and pork hams which have become best-sellers.

According to McDonald, the hams are smoked and pre-cooked and all that is left to do is to bake it and glaze with a topping of your choice.

She disclosed that for next year, they will be producing bacon and also plan to have beef for Pepperpot available, as these are products that people have been constantly asking for.

McDonald reported that they had to get approximately 40 pigs this year to produce ham, pickled pork and garlic pork due to the high demand.

She revealed that GSA will be opening their very own marketing centre in the third week of December and thereafter, customers can visit all year round to access meats and the other products they produce.

The GSA agro-processing department produces seven different flours, seven meat products and three condiments in the form of barbeque sauce, all-purpose green seasoning and pepper sauce

Persons are being encouraged to place orders for Christmas baskets before December 13, 2024, via WhatsApp number 647-8202. More information can be found on the GSA website: agroprocessing@gsa.edu.gy. (Michel Outridge)