A FAMILY-RUN agro-processing business in Upper Pomeroon is expanding its range of traditional Guyanese products after obtaining certification under the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) Made in Guyana Certification Mark Programme.
Sand Flower Products, based at Siriki Sand, Upper Pomeroon, produces cassava bread and fruit wines, with Managing Director Xuxa Lowe saying the certification has helped strengthen consumer confidence and created additional market opportunities for the small business.
The enterprise was started by Lowe’s mother in 2015 after she attended a workshop that introduced her to the potential uses of the locally available acai berry, known in the community as manicol.
At the time, Lowe’s mother was working as a midwife while also involved in forestry on a concession where numerous palm trees produced the small, dark-purple fruit.
“She came home, she experimented and that is how the business was birthed in 2015 with acai berry wines,” Lowe recalled.
The business was named after the small wildflowers commonly found in the Siriki Sand community.
“In our community there are these little flowers, commonly called sand flower. They just spring up all over the place, and that is how we got the name of the business,” Lowe explained.
Following her mother’s retirement in 2020, the business expanded its product range to include cassava bread.
Today, Sand Flower Products makes plain cassava bread, garlic cassava bread, garlic and parsley cassava bread, as well as acai berry and cherry wines.
For Lowe, the emphasis on traditional products is also about giving consumers greater access to locally made alternatives.
She said some consumers want Guyanese-made products but may not always know where to find them or how to produce them themselves.
“I thought that it was a great opportunity for us to give people more traditional products,” she said.
Sand Flower Products joined the GNBS Made in Guyana Certification Mark Programme in 2024 after Lowe learnt about the process from a colleague.
The programme provides a recognised mark for certified Guyanese-made products, enabling consumers to identify products that meet the programme’s requirements while allowing local manufacturers to strengthen their brands.
Lowe said the certification process was manageable because the business already maintained records, including batch numbers.
“It wasn’t really hard. The guys (GNBS) worked along with us, and we were already keeping records of our products, including batch numbers, so it was easy for us to get everything together,” she said.
The certification process also helped the business formalise some of its operating systems, including process flow charts and key performance indicators.
GNBS conducts audits of certified businesses, during which records and other requirements are reviewed.
Lowe said quality control remains important to the business, with products tested before packaging.
“When we are finished, if we are making cassava bread, we make sure that we taste it; that it is of quality before we do packaging; same thing with the wines,” she said.
Asked what distinguishes the products, Lowe attributed it to the care put into their preparation.
“It is made with love,” she said.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SMALL PRODUCERS
Lowe said the Made in Guyana certification has helped the business access additional market opportunities, with the certification providing an added indication of the products’ local origin and production standards.
“The market opportunities have been great because when people look at your product and they see that it has been certified by GNBS, it is something that they look at like, oh, this is a good product,” she said.
She encouraged other small manufacturers to consider applying for the certification, particularly those seeking to strengthen their brands and expand their markets.
Lowe acknowledged that some businesses may initially lack the records or systems required under the programme, but said GNBS works with manufacturers to help them meet the necessary requirements.
“Even if, when you apply for it, you don’t have the necessary requirements that GNBS needs from you, they’re going to work along with you and make sure that everything is okay,” she said.
The experience of Sand Flower Products highlights the potential for small-scale agro-processing to add value to locally available agricultural resources while preserving traditional foods and creating opportunities for community-based enterprises.
For the Pomeroon business, the objective now is to build on its certification, expand its markets and establish Sand Flower Products as a recognisable household brand in Guyana and potentially beyond.