Barbados, Suriname Agriculture ministers to visit Guyana next week

Agriculture Ministers from Barbados and Suriname will visit Guyana next week as part of efforts to strengthen collaboration and gain first hand insight into the country’s agricultural developments.

Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha announced on Wednesday that the Barbados’ Minister of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Security, Shantal Munro-Knight will visit from March 23–26. Additionally, Mike Noersalim, Suriname’s Minister of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, is expected to arrive shortly after.

According to Mustapha, the visits will give regional officials a first hand look at Guyana’s agricultural advancements and to experience ongoing projects across the sector.

“These two ministers will be here next week to see what we are doing and at the same time also have request for us to visit some other countries like Grenada and so on.

“They want us to help them to go and talk to some people there to whip up the interest that we have here in Guyana,” Mustapha said.

He added that both visiting officials are relatively new to their respective portfolios and are keen on understanding Guyana’s approach to agricultural expansion and diversification.

“What we are doing in Guyana, they want to see and have experience,” he said.

Mustapha also highlighted that Guyana has already established a strong working relationship with both countries under previous administrations, with tangible results.

“We helped Barbados to start their shade house industry,” he said, adding that further collaboration is being explored to replicate Guyana’s brackish water shrimp production there.

In the case of Suriname, Mustapha said there is interest in technical support from Guyana, particularly in coconut cultivation and other agricultural initiatives.

“Suriname likewise, they want us to help them in terms of coconut production and other things like that,” he explained.

The upcoming visits are expected to further strengthen regional agricultural ties.