GEORGETOWN, Guyana – Guyana and Suriname have pledged to continue discussions aimed at establishing partnerships regarding the further development of the agricultural sectors in both Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries.
Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha presents Suriname’s First Gentleman, Glenn Geerlings led delegations to the talks on MondayAgriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha and Suriname’s First Gentleman, Glenn Geerlings met on Monday to discuss closer collaboration in the development of their agricultural sectors with Mustapha highlighting the progress Guyana has made over the last five years in expanding its agriculture sector.
He spoke of the government’s investments in new and traditional crops, agro-processing, and aquaculture, and expressed Guyana’s readiness to work with Suriname to implement additional projects, particularly those that involve the country’s youth and other key stakeholders.
Geerlings, the husband of President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, said that while Suriname has seen successes in agriculture, there remains room for improvement, noting also that several of Guyana’s agriculture-related initiatives, which are currently yielding positive results, could be successfully replicated in Suriname.
The two officials pledged to continue dialogue through the appropriate channels to strengthen bilateral relations and establish partnerships aimed at further developing the agriculture sectors.
Guyana has lead responsibility for the Caribbean Community (CARICO) “25 by 2025” initiative, which is a food security strategy aimed at reducing the region’s food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025.
The initiative was launched to address high levels of food imports in CARICOM member states and has been extended to 2030 with updated goals. The plan involves increasing regional food production, improving agricultural infrastructure, fostering intra-regional trade, and strengthening food and nutrition security across the Caribbean.
