-highlight agro-processing skills, opportunities for new value-added products

INNOVATION, creativity and talent were on display on Monday as students of the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA) hosted their annual Food Science and Technology and Agribusiness Management Exhibition.

Hosted at the institution’s Mon Repos campus, the event saw students who are part of the Diploma in Agriculture Year Two programme showcase a wide range of innovative food products made from locally available produce.

A major part of their academic journey, the exhibition sought to highlight Guyana’s food security potential, as students were also tasked with designing packaging and marketing their products to demonstrate their skills in food safety and entrepreneurship.

Giving insight into the exhibition, Stacia McDonald, Assistant Manager of the Guyana School of Agriculture Agro-processing Facility, said the event was vital for the students and an integral part of the programme.

She explained that students were tasked with practically demonstrating the concepts of food development, food safety and entrepreneurship. The group of more than twenty students were given several weeks to create each product, including concept creation, development, and branding.

“The students spent ten weeks developing these products. Each group chose a main produce, and they exhaust that produce, using the skins, the flesh, and in some cases the seeds,” she added.

However, this is only the beginning, McDonald noted, as she emphasised that the hope is for students to return to GSA following the programme to continue developing and marketing their products, and eventually seeing them on the shelves of supermarkets in Guyana. “We hope the students will return to GSA and use our incubator to continue developing products, extend their product line, and eventually have them in the Guyana Shop and other supermarkets in Guyana.”

A student of GSA and one of the innovative young minds behind Coco Creations, Nathan Ford said he and his team worked over several weeks to develop a range of coconut-based products. The group produced coconut flour, shortcake, cream, cheese, candy, and coconut vinegar. Highlighting the process, Ford explained, “It took about five weeks to create these products. The first weeks were mostly pitching ideas on how to make them and planning the steps. Around week five, we started the procedures of actually making them.”

The process was also experimental, with the students turning failed attempts into new products. “We had some failures with certain products. For example, the coconut cream. We were going to make coconut milk powder by using the fat of the coconut and freeze-drying it, but there was an error. From that mistake we created a new product,” Ford added.

Also showcasing ingenuity were the students behind Serene Sips.
Speaking on behalf of the team, Marlon O’Donoghue said they developed a range of lemongrass and ginger-based products, with herbal tea bags being their main product. “Our main product is herbal tea bags. We have ginger tea bags, lemongrass tea bags, and a blended variety combining ginger and lemongrass,” he said.

The group also worked with pumpkin. “We also have canned pumpkin which was deep frozen, and barbecue sauce. We wanted to ensure we used every part of the product. After we made the canned pumpkin, we used the seeds to make roasted pumpkin seeds,” he added.

While optimistic about their products, O’Donoghue noted that crafting the tea bags proved especially challenging for the team. However, positive feedback from exhibition attendees has made the group proud.

Participating as the only group from GSA’s Essequibo campus, Amani Alves and his team brought a variety of food products from Region Two as part of the exhibition. While the team’s main product was a unique coconut mayonnaise, they also developed several other products.

“We also have marinara sauce. It is a multi-purpose sauce that can be used on pizza and other dishes. We use pineapple, tomatoes, and bay leaves. We also made orange marmalade, and we have dry seasoning made from celery, shallots, garlic, onion, and dried fruits,” Alves explained.

On the more unique side, the students also produced pickled duck, an idea Alves said was inspired by a desire to create something different while using ingredients available in the region.

Angel Aulder of Pure Zest Guyana and her team also worked with citrus, with oranges serving as their main ingredient.

In an effort to stand out, the students created several products including infused oil, marmalade, and orange chutney. “We also made orange chutney, which has a sweet and spicy flavour. It is made using the juice and sugar. Another product is carambola. We cut it into equal parts and boil it for several hours. From that we also made a barbecue sauce using carambola caramel,” she said.

The group noted that the preservation process required extra time and effort. “It took about three months overall to come up with the products. In the first weeks of the class, we were introduced to the assignment and had to think about the product and its benefits,” she said adding, “After about five weeks, we started producing the products. Some of the items had to be left overnight, like the infused oil, so that the flavours could soak in.”

The exhibition, marking the first step in their journey, saw students highlighting Guyana’s potential in advancing food security.

With young professionals who are educated and passionate about the sector, coupled with continued growth through innovation and infrastructure, more Guyanese are now better equipped and prepared to contribute to the country’s wider food security goals.