The successful conclusion of the Market Actor and Donor Project marks another significant milestone in Guyana’s journey toward building a more competitive, inclusive, and investment-ready agriculture sector.
Implemented by the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) in partnership with the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) through funding from Global Affairs Canada, the initiative strengthened market linkages, expanded business opportunities, and equipped farmers, particularly women and youth ,with the knowledge, networks, and resources needed to modernize their operations and participate more effectively in local and regional value chains.
The project brought together a broad coalition of public and private sector partners, including the Ministry of Agriculture and its agencies, financial institutions, business support organizations, tourism stakeholders, and major retailers. This collaborative approach reinforced Guyana’s commitment to developing an integrated agricultural ecosystem that supports sustainable growth, innovation, and private sector investment.
Speaking at the project’s close-out event, GCCI Secretary and Chair of the Agriculture Committee, Brian Edwards, emphasized that the initiative represents the beginning of a stronger, more connected agricultural landscape rather than the end of a single programme.
“We’re not just marking the end of a project. We’re celebrating a new way of doing business in Guyana’s agriculture sector,” Edwards said, noting that the Guyana Agriculture Connect initiative was designed to bridge the gap between traditional farming practices and modern market demands by connecting producers with buyers, financial institutions, technical expertise, and business development services.
The programme has played a key role in improving access to climate-smart agriculture practices, market information, financing opportunities, and quality agricultural inputs while ensuring that small and medium-sized farmers, women, youth, and underserved communities are better positioned to participate in the country’s growing agribusiness sector.
GCCI President Kathy Smith highlighted that the initiative aligns closely with the Chamber’s long-term vision for agricultural development across all ten administrative regions. Building on the project’s success, she announced that the GCCI has partnered with the Government of Guyana to provide 100 women in agriculture with shade houses, further supporting productivity and entrepreneurship in the sector.
Representatives from WUSC and the High Commission of Canada also underscored the project’s measurable impact. The Sustainable Agriculture in the Caribbean (SAC) programme, a CAD$20 million regional initiative funded by Global Affairs Canada, reported that Guyana emerged as one of its strongest-performing countries. Participants experienced substantial increases in income, with average annual net earnings nearly doubling from baseline levels, alongside high adoption rates of climate-smart agricultural practices.
The project’s achievements demonstrate the value of strategic partnerships in creating a resilient and market-oriented agriculture sector. By strengthening collaboration between government, the private sector, development partners, and producers, Guyana continues to create an enabling environment for agribusiness investment, innovation, and sustainable economic growth.
As Guyana advances its agricultural transformation agenda, initiatives such as these reinforce the country’s position as an emerging destination for investment in sustainable agriculture, agro-processing, and value-added production.
