OVER the last several years, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), through its Agriculture Committee, has been supporting the development of farmers across the country via the Agriculture Outreach programme.

The agriculture sector is also one of the key sectors to be targeted by programmes that will be executed by the Chamber’s Micro and Women Entrepreneur Learning Centre, and recently, the GCCI met with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Representative in Guyana, Dr. Gillian Smith to discuss potential collaborations between the two organisations to execute these programmes.

Recently, President of the GCCI, Mrs. Kathy Smith and Junior Vice President and Chairperson of the Agriculture Committee, Mr. Brian Edwards met with Dr. Smith to explore areas for potential collaboration. The GCCI President shared an overview of the GCCI and its committees, as well as a cursory view of the membership. Mrs. Smith stated, “We have noticed a growth in women-owned and women-led businesses…The Agriculture Committee has been supporting the work of women in agriculture, providing technical advice.”

She also highlighted the objectives of the Learning Centre as it relates to farmers, particularly the goal of shifting them away from the traditional ‘buy and sell’ mode of operation into a standardised operation with the potential to export their products. As part of this initiative, training will be provided in a number of areas including marketing, branding, packaging, financial literacy, and the development of a sustainable business, she explained. The Agriculture Committee Chairperson also noted that the Chamber is seeking to work with organisations to build out the Agriculture Outreach Programme that has been executed over the last two years across the country.

The FAO Representative provided insight into a number of similar initiatives undertaken by the organisation, particularly on developing the capacity of government agencies in the agriculture sector. The two parties discussed areas for synergy and committed to furthering this discussion on collaboration.