Agricultural development in Region Three has received a major boost with the commissioning of a new $58.5 million agro-processing facility at Canal Number One Polder.
The facility will convert raw agricultural produce into value-added goods, significantly increasing farmers’ incomes, reducing post-harvest losses, and creating year-round employment opportunities, particularly in rural communities.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony on Saturday, Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha said the facility will further unlock the region’s agricultural potential in a transformational way, moving beyond the production and export of raw commodities.
“For too long, we have been producing primary products and exporting primary products. Today, in Canal Polder, we are now harvesting that potential. Agro-processing in Guyana is not only about adding value, it is about transforming the way we do things. It is about creating new opportunities and empowering people,” he said.
The minister noted that the facility was strategically established in Canal Number One Polder, since it is one of the most productive agricultural communities in the region, known for its abundant fruit production.
“I am hoping that the farmers in this community take full advantage of this facility,” he added.
The facility is equipped with a range of machinery, including mixers, blenders, stoves, stainless steel containers, heavy-duty scales, and chillers.
It also has the capacity to operate on a 24-hour basis, offering mechanised processes that will help lower operational costs. It will operate free of cost and provide support to small and medium-sized enterprises.
Moreover, Minister Mustapha said his ministry, through the Guyana Marketing Corporation, has been assessing opportunities across the country to further transform the agriculture sector.
“We are making this sector more resilient. We are making this sector a major source of income for our country’s population. That is the way we are transforming this sector,” he said.
The Canal Number One facility brings the total number of such agro-processing facilities established nationwide to15, spanning Regions One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Nine and Ten.
The minister said the initiative is ensuring equitable access for farmers not only in urban and coastal communities, but also in remote hinterland areas such as Whitewater in Region One, Orealla-Siparuta in Region Six, and the Deep South Rupununi in Region Nine.
“The same facilities that farmers on the coast are enjoying are the same facilities our farmers in hinterland communities are enjoying too,” he said.
He further reiterated the government’s commitment to the buildout of this new sector. [Department of Public Information]
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