Newly accredited British High Commissioner pays courtesy call to Agri. Minister

Newly accredited, British High Commissioner to Guyana, Her Excellency Jane Miller (OBE), today paid a courtesy call on Minister of Agriculture,  Zulfikar Mustapha MP.

During the meeting, Minister Mustapha updated Ambassador Miller on Guyana’s agriculture sector and the advances made since the Government took office last year. They also discussed some of the plans Government has for the sugar industry.

“Guyana is an agriculture-based country. This sector plays a very important role in terms of foreign exchange and economic development. We would’ve suffered some setbacks because of the recent flooding but as a Government, we have been working to help our farmers to get back to the land,”

As a Government, we are working aggressively to resuscitate GuySuCo and the entire industry because GuySuCo is beyond sugar. We are looking at diversification so areas like ethanol production and packaged and refined sugar are some of the commodities that will be targeted,” Minister Mustapha said.

Minister Mustapha also told Ambassador Miller that Guyana has resumed the leading role in CARICOM as it relates to speaking on and directing agricultural development.

“In CARICOM, Guyana is one of the main agriculture producing countries. We produce rice, sugar, other non-traditional crops, poultry, livestock, and aquaculture. We are also working with the private sector to commence large-scale production of corn and soya bean. Guyana has always played a leading role in CARICOM. When we resumed office last year, President Ali presented a paper to the CARICOM Heads of Government and Guyana is once again playing that leading role. A Ministerial Taskforce was subsequently established to discuss Food Production and Food Security in CARICOM that I am Chairing as Minister of Agriculture”.

The officials also discussed advancements in the areas of livestock, aquaculture, rice, agro-processing, research, and technology.

Ambassador Miller is the first female British High Commissioner to serve in Guyana.