Guyana, Cuba ink MoU to provide technical services in forestry, agriculture

The Governments of Guyana and Cuba signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide technical support services in forestry and agriculture in Guyana.

The MoU seeks to establish a general framework of collaboration between the Ministries of Agriculture in Cuba and Guyana with an emphasis on agriculture and vegetable products, livestock and animal products, beekeeping, forestry, and other areas.

The MoU was signed by Director General of the Ministry, Madanlall Ramraj, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Delma Nedd, and Cuban Ambassador to Guyana, Jorge Francisco Soberón Luis at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Saturday morning.

Ramraj highlighted that Guyana has several hectares of land that are largely undeveloped for beekeeping, which offers enormous potential for the growth of the apiculture sector.

This will enable Guyana to meet the 25 by 2025 initiative by increasing its honey production for Guyana to become an exporter of honey in CARICOM.

“Government is repositioning the apiculture industry. Guyana’s forest has a great potential for apiculture, if exploited, it can create employment and sustainable income for the population residing in the hinterland areas…I look forward to the fruitful collaboration between our countries as we actively develop our agriculture sector to greater food security,” Ramraj noted.

Since Guyana is pushing the transformation of the agricultural food systems in the region towards full commercialisation, the government is forming partnerships with nations that possess some of the greatest agricultural methods.

Guyana is contributing to reducing the region’s high food import bill, while simultaneously increasing the sector’s sustainability.

Ramraj highlighted that shortly, Guyana will be signing a technical assistance agreement with the Cuban Company, CATEC- Labiofam, which will boost the honey industry in Guyana.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Luis underscored that the signing of the MoU is an important step towards advancing food security and food production in the region.

“As both leaders of Cuba and Guyana have stated, we should join efforts and forces to make our capabilities come together to strengthen our production and our technical assistance,” he added.

Ambassador Luis stressed that Guyana has a leading role in CARICOM in food security and production.

“Cuba is making that contribution in that area…We are certain that we are going to achieve higher results by working together to make our technical and production capacities achieve bigger and better results,” Luis added.

Ramraj and Luis both underlined that Guyana and Cuba have enjoyed cordial relations for a long time.