GEORGETOWN, Guyana – Guyana on Friday launched the third Agri-Investment Forum and Expo with the government saying it remains committed to strengthening process to transform agri-food system through innovation and investment.
Prime Minister retired Brigadier Mark PhillipsThe October 20-22 forum will be held under the theme “Accelerating investment in Vision 25 by 2025” and Prime Minister retired Brigadier Mark Phillips said the event will also be used to advance investment and innovative measures to attain the Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) Vision 25 by 2025 target to reduce the region’s food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025.
Phillips, delivering the feature address, said that increased bilateral cooperation between countries, increased public-private partnerships, and an enabling environment for large-scale investments are all imperative for Vision 25 by 2025 to be successful.
He said given all of these changes, Guyana anticipates that the private sector in the Caribbean, the international donor community, and multilateral development organizations would cooperate to create appropriate and sustainable regional transportation for the movement of food throughout the region.
“Transforming the agri-food system of the region will take the effort of each and every stakeholder in our region. This goal is not merely a financial consideration. By nurturing our regional agriculture sector, we empower our economies, strengthen our food security, promote sustainable practices, and preserve our cultural heritage,” Phillips said.
He commended the region’s Ministerial Task Force and all stakeholders on food production and food security for accelerating its aggressive agenda towards ensuring the efficiency, effectiveness and implementation of the region’s strategy aimed at advancing CARICOM’s agri-food system.
“The actions of these regional leaders have sent a very clear message, that as a region, we must work together to move forward in every aspect of the food production system,” Pprime Minister Phillips said, noting that as regional leaders move forward with the food security agenda, the three day event in October seeks to attract the investments and strong actions required in crucial areas for agriculture and food production.
Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha said that the forum and expo will provide a platform to deliberate, discuss, strategize and measure the outcome of the region’s progress since the establishment of the Ministerial Taskforce to drive food production, while reducing the food importation bill in the Caribbean.
“We will discuss vital topics to ensure our actions are not only impactful today but also sustainable for generations to come… It is the expectation that together we will explore innovative financing models, harness cutting edge technologies and amplify impact of our collective efforts to propel us to a future filled with possibilities,” Mustapha noted.
Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Komal Singh said that the event offers excellent opportunities to farmers, food processing facilities and other service providers to showcase their products and services.
“The private sector has a significant opportunity here to offer meaningful contribution by forming consortiums and partnerships that will assist in developing major mega farms and agro-processing facilities, which will allow us to develop a robust agriculture sector in the region,” he said.
Additionally, the logistics aspect also provides a great opportunity for shipping and transferring goods and services, he said.
