The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture hosted a roundtable for its AgriConnect Initiative for Latin America and the Caribbean (LARC) at its headquarters in Washington, DC on Friday. The event brought together Ministers of Agriculture and other senior officials from across Latin America and the Caribbean.
During his presentation, Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, said Guyana is moving in a direction that focuses on building the right food ecosystem—one with strong small-scale farmers, improved market linkages, and better access to finance and digital tools.
“Guyana’s agriculture sector is transitioning from traditional practices to a modern, climate-smart, and data-driven industry. Our initiatives are designed to reduce production costs and enhance household incomes, demonstrating our commitment to progress.
AgriConnect’s emphasis on investments in physical infrastructure, natural resources, human capital, digital solutions, training, extension services, and research mirrors Guyana’s national agenda. We are prioritizing modern drainage and irrigation systems, expanding farm-to-market roads, upgrading storage and cold chain systems, and building a digitally enabled extension service,” he explained.
In addition to expanding access to markets and technologies, the programme also seeks to create economic opportunities in rural areas, particularly for young people, by encouraging them to remain in the countryside through more innovative and productive activities linked to global value chains.
(Source: Ministry of Agriculture-Guyana)
