Guyana, Dominican Republic can foster agri. sector growth

The bilateral relations between Guyana and the Dominican Republic can reap benefits for both countries, as they collaborate for further development in their agriculture sectors.

This was highlighted by Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, during the private sector engagement between the two states, at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre on Thursday.

Minister Mustapha emphasised that the Dominican Republic has a well-developed logistic transportation infrastructure that could assist Guyana to access new markets and expand its exports.

The agriculture minister noted that other lucrative areas of investment include fisheries and aquaculture.

“Guyana is currently ranked as the tenth supplier in the US of fresh fish and shrimp. We are producing almost 4,027 metric tonnes of these products annually. There is a particular interest in the increased production of brackish water shrimp. This shrimp has market potential in North America and the large diaspora that Guyana has overseas,” Minister Mustapha explained.

He underscored that an area of cooperation that Guyana can support the Dominican Republic is climate-resilient technology, which includes shade houses.

The minister said Guyana can provide technical assistance in the construction of shade houses for niche vegetables, exchange of expertise, and technical knowledge.

“DR has a well-developed agriculture sector and shares its expertise with Guyana in areas such as coffee and cocoa,” Minister Mustapha stated. There are also opportunities for the Dominican Republic to support Guyana in the development of a state-of-the-art agriculture market, similar to its own.