GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali says two containers of locally produced agro-processed goods are destined for Caribbean markets, in what he has described as a concrete step in turning farm output into export driven wealth for households and communities.

Speaking during an in-depth end-of-year conversation with students on Tuesday, Ali outlined an integrated economic and social model aimed at reducing poverty, expanding household wealth and building a diversified, resilient economy for all Guyanese.

“You are seeing it at the Christmas markets and across the country: single mothers and small processors improving their products. Today, we have just negotiated two containers of agro-processed goods going into the Caribbean,” he said.

He said that the shipment is not a symbolic gesture but a practical outcome of policies designed to transform Guyana into a competitive, diversified economy that places families, farmers, young people and small businesses at the centre of national growth.

Ali said the agro-processing breakthrough reflects deliberate policies to incentivise agriculture, empower small producers, particularly women, and link village-level production to regional and global markets.

He said because Guyana is fast becoming an important food supplier in the Caribbean, discussions are underway to establish a commercial arm of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) that would integrate food production with the Caribbean Community (Caricom) market.

President Ali cited a recent discussion with the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, “where a group of young Antiguans are investing in transport capabilities and are looking to Guyana as a key supplier of food into their domestic system”.

Ali said that following on this initiative, the Guyana Development Bank will be used to introduce entrepreneurship education in schools, teaching students how to form consortia and develop bankable ideas from an early age.

“Wealth creation is not accidental. It is planned at the national level through policies and programmes and felt at the community level,” he said, warning against attitudes that reduce productivity during this critical phase of development.

Regarding food security, President Ali noted that while regional targets have been affected by hurricanes, climate shocks and post-pandemic demand, Guyana has made tremendous strides.

He said poultry, livestock, egg, aquaculture, corn and soya production have all expanded, with exports to the wider Caribbean expected within two years and that international investors are now actively pursuing opportunities in large scale livestock, swine production, sugar refining, ethanol, mega farms and hydroponics, reflecting growing confidence in Guyana’s policy environment.

“Guyana is now seen as a country with a serious policy agenda and a strong ecosystem that supports agriculture and food production,” President Ali said.

In his wide ranging engagement, President Ali said there will be a complete assessment of the gold mining sector on January 5, next year as part of the Government’s efforts to crack down on illegal activities within the sector.

He said the gold mining sector requires serious focus.

“We are going to link the mercury they buy with their declarations; if they have land that they are working on (and) they have dredges registered, but there is no declaration, we’re going to repossess those lands because there is no sense they destroy the environment and it’s not being used.”

Ali confirmed that the complete assessment of the sector will be done early in the new year and “strong decisions” will be made.

Over the past few weeks, government and other stakeholders have reiterated some of the rules governing the sector with emphasis being placed on reminding miners that gold must be sold to the Guyana Gold Board or authorised licensed dealers.

President Ali also said that more improvements are being contemplated with regards to the operations of the Guyana Power and Light (GPL), which has been beset by numerous challenges, leading to blackouts affecting both citizens and businesses.

Ali said that ongoing development, which has led to the construction of thousands of new houses and the establishment of new businesses, contributed to the spike in the power demand. He said the increased demand, coupled with the aging power distribution system, has challenged GPL.

“On the power side, there have been improvements (though) still not where we want them to be (and there are) still weaknesses in management that we are addressing. We are fixing and reinvesting in the entire infrastructure whilst we have to keep the power on.”

Ali explained that GPL and the main power grid it runs — the Demerara- Berbice Interconnected System — did not have enough investments from 2015 to 2020 and that his government has the herculean task of rapidly investing in GPL’s expansion.