BLESSED GUYANA LABOUR DAY
Warmest CONGRATULATIONS to the HARDWORKING PEOPLE of Guyana as you celebrate MAY DAY! THIS DAY is a PROUD TRIBUTE to the Resilience, Dedication, and Spirit of the Guyanese workforce, whose hands have built the FOUNDATION of the COOPERATIVE REPUBLIC OF GUYANA, from the sugar estates to the emerging energy sector. As WE HONOUR the LEGACY of Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow and the long history of the LABOUR movement, may this day be a well-deserved moment of REST, REFLECTION and REDEDICATION on your MOST VITAL contributions to the GUYANA’S rapid TRANSFORMATION. Wishing ALL WORKERS and LEADERS across the 10 administrative regions a Safe, Joyful, and Empowering LABOUR DAY.
GHANA and GUYANA RICE Lessons
GHANA: Over 100,000 metric tons of locally grown Ghanaian RICE REMAINS UNSOLD from the 2024–2025 harvests, leaving farmers with minimal buyers. This CRISIS is driven by intense competition from CHEAPER , IMPORTED RICE , which DOMINATES the market. DESPITE HIGH-QUALITY LOCAL production, FARMERS are STRUGGLING with DEBTS and calling for GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION, including POTENTIAL import RESTRICTIONS.
As of March 2026, over 1.3 MILLION METRIC TONS million metric of paddy rice and grains are trapped in warehouses, valued at roughly US$330 MILLION.
RICE Lessons: GHANA and GUYANA
Ghana’s rice crisis, where over one million tons of locally grown rice recently remained unsold despite a production surge, offers critical lessons for Guyana as it scales up its own agricultural push.
- Production is Only Half the Battle
Ghana successfully increased production through government support yet failed to secure a market for that surplus.
The Lesson: GUYANA: must be matched with off-take agreements and guaranteed markets to prevent farmers from facing losses.
- Quality and Perception Gaps
GHANIANIAN consumers often prefer imported rice due to perceptions of cleanliness, purity, and taste (especially “perfumed” varieties). Local rice is sometimes seen as inferior, often containing “stones” or having inconsistent textures.
The Lesson Guyana: “Made in Guyana” certification is vital. Standardied processing, cleaning, and branding are necessary to ensure local products like cassava flour or mangoes can compete with the “attractive” look and consistency of imports.
- Price Competitiveness vs. Smuggling
In GHANA, local rice often costs MORE to produce than imported or smuggled rice, making it unaffordable for the average citizen. SMUGGLED 50 Pounds RICE in Ghana can be as cheap as 450 Cedis = USD $40.60, while LOCAL RICE at 600 Cedis = USD $54.13
The Lesson: GUYANA: Government SUBDIES MUST LOWER THE COST of PRODUCTION (inputs, mechanization) rather than just ARTIFICIALLY supporting the FINAL price. GUYANA must also remain VIGILANT about SMUGGLING from neighboring countries, and IMPORTERS, which can UNDERCUT local PRICES.
4. Price Competitiveness vs. Smuggling
In GHANA, local rice often costs more to produce than imported or smuggled rice, making it unaffordable for the average citizen. Smuggled 50 Pounds RICE in Ghana can be as cheap as 450 Cedis = USD $40.60, while local rice sits at 600 Cedis = USD $54.13
The Lesson GUYANA :Government subsidies must lower the cost of production (inputs, mechanization) rather than just artificially supporting the purchase price. Guyana must also remain vigilant about smuggling from neighboring countries, which can undercut local prices
5. Institutional and Public Sector Support
Ghanaian farmers lamented that even STATE INSTITUTIONS and festive gift-giving programs often used IMPORTED RICE instead of LOCALLY GROWN RICE.
The Lesson GUYANA: Government-led consumption—such as using local cassava flour in national school feeding programs or prisons—is a powerful tool to stabilize demand while consumer habits catch up.
6. The “Status Symbol” Challenge
GHANA: Imported goods in Ghana are frequently viewed as status symbols, associating wealth with foreign brands.
The Lesson GUYANA: must INVEST IN SOCIAL MARKETING and NATIONAL PRIDE CAMPAIGNS national to shift consumer behavior, educating people that local products are fresher and often healthier than imports that spend months in transit.
Springer Nature Link
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12208-023-00370-w
GHANA: Key FACTORS Affecting Demand
Import Competition: Over USD $5B was spent on rice imports in 2025, flooding the market and making LOCAL rice LESS competitive.
Perception Issues: Some consumers associate local rice with lower quality, less aroma, or as “food for the poor,” despite its high nutritional value.
Logistical Hurdles: Local producers often lack the storage facilities to hold rice until market conditions improve.
High Input Costs: Farmers, particularly in Northern Ghana, face high production costs (fertilizer, seeds), making it difficult to lower prices to match imports,
The RICE industries in GHANA and GUYANA present a sharp contrast between domestic-focused struggle and export-driven expansion. While GHANA faces a crisis of unsold surplus, GUYANA is recording historic production highs with a strategy focused on international trade.
GHANA: Efforts and Initiatives
Market Initiatives: Organisations like RDF Ghana work with local aggregators like Rujo Agritrade to connect farmers with buyers.
Showcasing Local Products: Events like AGRIFEST highlight local brands such as “a fif” and “eight brown rice” to boost awareness.
Call for Action: Farmers in areas such as the Volta Region are demanding government intervention to manage the rate of importation.
Shift in Consumption: Campaigns are encouraging citizens to “Buy Local Rice” to support farmers and ensure food security.
SWOT : Rice Industry
Factor: GHANA Rice (Domestic Paradox) GUYANA Rice (Export Expansion)
Strengths
GHANA: Large arable land in the Northern Savannah; over 44% of the workforce employed in agriculture.
GUYANA: Record yields of 6.6 tons per hectare; oil-funded budget support of USD$430M:
Weaknesses
GHANA: 1.3 million tons of grain STUCK in WAREHOUSES; lack of government-operated milling.
GUYANA: Vulnerability to commodity PRICE fluctuations; reliance on a FEW major exporters.
Opportunities
GHANA: Potential for self-sufficiency by 2028 through “Planting for Food and Jobs
GUYANA: Expansion into Mexico and Europe in 2026; USD $1BILLION.
Threats
GHANA: Competition from cheap, substandard imports; local price collapses during harvests.
GUYANA: Global FERTILIZER SUPPLY RISKS ; threat to coastal planting areas from RISING FLOOD WATER.
GUYANA AGRICULTURE
Guyana is experiencing A MAJOR agricultural SURGE, driven by government-backed diversification efforts targeting ONIONS, CASSAVA, MANGOES, and other HIGH-VALUE CROPS. A successful pilot in Region Nine yielded over 40,000kg of onions—resulting in millions of dollars in revenue—and triggered expansion plans to move from 4 acres to over 200 acres.
Key Agriculture Initiatives:
Onions: Following a successful pilot, 2,000+ bags of onions from Region Nine were shipped to Georgetown, with A. Wahab Imports purchasing the first batch.
Regional Expansion: The Ministry of Agriculture is collaborating with farmers in Regions Two, Five, Six, Eight, and Nine to boost production of onions, soya, corn, and ground provisions.
Agro-Processing & Value Addition: The Hope Agro-processing Facility actively processes local mangoes, cassava, onions, and oranges, supporting local value-added products.
Food Security Goal: These efforts are part of a broader strategy to decrease Guyana’s food import bill by 25% by 2030, in line with His Excellency President Dr. Ali’s REGIONAL FOOD SECURITY VISION.
Guyana is AGGRESSIVELY SCALING PRODUCTION for cassava, mangoes, and high-value crops to become a regional food hub, backed by a USD $113.2 billion budget allocation.
Cassava Production & Value Addition
Guyana harvested over 20 million pounds of cassava in 2024. The push now focuses on yields and industrial processing:
Yield Improvements: New cassava varieties have nearly doubled yields, moving from 15–18 tons per hectare to 30 tons per hectare in 2024.
Industrial Flour: NAMILCO is investing $10 billion to build a state-of-the-art mill to produce cassava flour, with construction slated for early 2026.
Regional Processing: A NEW FACILITY in Parika (Region Three) can process 20 tons of cassava into flour in eight hours, benefiting over 200 local farmers. Other facilities have opened in Mainstay/Whyaka (Region Two) to produce climate-resilient cassava products.
Mango Sector Formalisation
While mangoes were traditionally grown on small residential SCALES, the Government is NOW establishing a structured INDUSTRY.
New Cultivars MANGOES: Land has been identified to introduce 10 to 15 commercial varieties, with seedlings imported from Dominica to ensure high-quality premium fruit for international markets.
Production Targets: Regions Eight and Nine have set specific targets to produce 150,000 pounds of mangoes.
Export Support MANGOES : The government recently facilitated the sale of 2,000 pounds of mangoes from hinterland regions to coastal markets to prevent post-harvest waste.
Other Major High-Value Crops
Vegetables: Massive expansion of broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots is underway through 600+ shade houses to replace approximately $6 billion (GYD) in annual imports.
Spices: Cultivation in Region One has skyrocketed from 85 acres in 2020 to over 4,800 acres in 2025.
Coconuts: Total acreage reached 33,000 as of December 2024, with the Hope Coconut Estate producing over 51,000 seedlings annually.
Regional Targets (Regions 8 & 9):
Carrots: 1,000,000 pounds.
Citrus: 500,000 pounds.
Peanuts: 200,000 pounds.
GUYANA SWOT on AGRICULTURE
Guyana’s agricultural sector is currently in a state of RAPID TRANSFORMATION , transitioning from traditional sugar and rice dependence to a DIVERSIFIED, tech-driven REGIONAL FOOD HUB.
STRENGTHS
Abundant Resources: Over 420,000 hectares of available arable land and high annual rainfall (avg. 90 inches).
High Growth: The sector grew by 11.5% in 2025, rebounding from negative growth in previous years.
Self-Sufficiency: A 2025 study in Nature Food identified Guyana as a rare global outlier capable of producing all essential food groups without relying on imports.
Economic Backing: Substantial oil revenues are being funneled back into the sector, with the agricultural budget increasing by 468% since 2020.
WEAKNESSES
Sugar Industry Decline: Sugarcane production saw a 21.8% contraction in 2024, continuing a trend of financial struggle and estate closures.
Infrastructure Gaps: Logistics, especially cold chain management and transportation from the hinterlands to the coast, are still in early development stages.
Outdated Methods: Small-scale farming in certain regions still lacks access to modern technology and suffers from a lack of technical training.
OPPORTUNITIES
CARICOM Regional Hub: Leading the “25 by 2025” VISION to reduce the Caribbean’s US$6 billion food import bill by 25%.
Agro-Industrial Development: Massive private investments, such as a $10 billion cassava flour mill, provide high-value export potential.
Livestock & Dairy: Significant opportunities for meat (beef/lamb) and dairy production, with Guyana being certified foot-and-mouth disease free.
Non-Traditional Crops: Rapid expansion in corn, soya, spices, and greenhouse vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower).
THREATS
Climate Change: Rising sea levels threaten the coastal plains where most agriculture is concentrated, and more frequent weather variability impacts yields.
Resource Curse (Dutch Disease): Inflow of OIL REVENUE could INFLATE domestic labor costs and PRICES, potentially making agricultural EXPORTS LESS COMPETITIVE.
Global Volatility: Rising energy and fertilizer costs due to international conflicts (e.g., Middle East) continue to pressure production margins.
The Result
Guyana is NO LONGER just “GROWING MORE FOOD “; it is building the INFRASSTRUCTURE to sell it. In 2025, Guyana successfully completed its FIRST major commercial shipment of SPICED cassava CHIPS and bottled MANGO PULP to Antigua, marking a shift from historical FOOD AID to modern COMMERCIAL TRADE.
Feed, Clothe, and House (FCH) the Nation 1970s
The SLOGAN “Feed, Clothe, and House (FCH) the Nation” was a CENTRAL PILLOR of His Excellency Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham’s administration, launched officially in the early 1970s as a FIVE-YEAR development PLAN (1972–1976). It aimed to achieve total NATIONAL SELF-SUFFICIENCY and economic independence following Guyana’s 1966 independence from Britain.
Core Objectives of the FCH Plan
FEED: The goal was to ELIMINATE reliance on imported food. This led to the famous “Grow More Food” campaign and the eventual BANNING of various foreign staples like wheat flour, split peas (dhal), and salted cod to force consumption of LOCAL ALTERNATIVES like cassava, rice, and plantains.
CLOTHE: The government promoted the local cotton industry and aimed to establish textile mills to produce Guyanese-made clothing and uniforms.
HOUSE: This phase focused on utilizing LOCAL MATERIAL —such as clay bricks and local timber—to build THOUSANDS of low-income HOUSING UNITS across the country.
Key HISTORICAL Context
Cooperative Socialism: In 1970, Guyana was declared a “Co-operative Republic,” signaling a shift toward state control and nationalization of key industries like bauxite and sugar to fund these social goals.
Propaganda & Education: The FCH mantra was integrated into the national school curriculum, and the country was “flooded” with posters and booklets promoting the 1976 deadline for self-sufficiency.
Mixed Legacy:
Supporters credit the era for laying the groundwork for Guyana’s current food self-sufficiency.
CRITICS point to the severe economic hardships, FOOD SHORTAGES, and the emergence of a “black market” that arose when local production could not meet the demand formerly satisfied by imports.
The attempt to “Feed, Clothe, and House (FCH) the Nation” in the 1970s was a period of forced self-reliance driven by political ideology and economic necessity.
TODAY, Guyana is achieving true food sovereignty through massive investment and regional leadership.
The “Banned” Items Era (1970s–1980s)
Under His Excellency Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham’s administration, the government restricted or outright banned dozens of basic imported food items to force a shift toward local production.
Wheat Flour: The most famous ban; wheat was declared “as illegal as cocaine,” and people were imprisoned for possessing it. Citizens were forced to use rice or cassava flour as alternatives.
Potatoes & Split Peas (Dhal): Staples of the Indian Guyanese diet were banned, which many saw as a cultural attack.
Canned Goods: Sardines, corned beef, and canned fruits were prohibited. Families famously buried empty sardine cans in their backyards to avoid detection by authorities.
Luxury Imports: Apples, grapes, pears, and foreign cheeses were also restricted.
1970s FCH vs. 2026 Food Hub (FH)
Feature 1972–1976 FCH Plan 2026 Regional Food Hub
Strategy FCH: Protectionist/Isolationist: Forced through bans and state control.
Strategy FH: Collaborative/Export-led: Driven by tech, private investment, and regional trade.
Financial Backing FCH: Foreign Exchange Crisis: High debt and lack of currency led to shortages.
Financial Backing FH: Oil Wealth: Budget for agriculture has increased by 468% since 2020.
Global Status FCH: Economic Crisis: Per capita income declined and poverty rose.
Global Status FH: Global Outlier: In 2025, Nature Food identified Guyana as the only country self-sufficient in all 7 major food groups.
Regional Role FCH: Self-Focused: Aimed to survive internal economic collapse.
Regional Role FH: CARICOM Leader: Leading the “25 by 2025” plan to cut the Caribbean’s $6B import bill.
Infrastructure FCH: Clay Bricks/Cotton Mills: Efforts to build houses with local clay and cloth from local cotton.
Infrastructure FH: Regional Food Hubs: Advanced facilities like the Yarrowkabra Food Hub for processing and export.
Current Progress in 2026
FH: As of April 2026, Guyana has achieved a 70% completion rate for its targets under the CARICOM food initiative, with Guyana now positioning Region Five as the “livestock capital” of the Caribbean and the current push is defined by ABUNDANCE.
FCH: The original “Feed, Clothe, House” plan STRUGGLED with scarcity and black markets.
Guyana has emerged as the LEADER of the “25 by 2025” initiative, significantly outperforming regional peers while transforming its cassava industry from a survival staple into a multi-billion-dollar industrial sector.
25 by 2025″ Regional Progress (as of April 2026)
The initiative, recently extended to 2030 to focus on production targets, shows a stark divide in regional achievement:
Top Performers (63%–88% achievement):
BARBADOS: Led the region with 94% of its target achieved by late 2023.
GUYANA: Reached 82% of its production target.
Belize, Jamaica, and Suriname: Consistently met between 60% and 80% of their set goals.
Struggling Countries (5%–29% achievement): Smaller island nations like St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Vincent and the Grenadines face significant barriers due to land availability and high logistics costs.
Major Milestone: By late 2024, the region recorded a 24% overall increase in food production.
To support this MASSIVE EXPORT DRIVE, Guyana has overhauled BOTH its quality standards and its regional transportation network, ensuring that “MADE IN GUYANA” products actually reach shelves in Antigua and beyond.
Massy Stores provides retail options, with a focus on sourcing “MADE IN GUYANA” products. The Group supports local industry, evidenced by the partnership with UMAMI to distribute Guyanese products.
The “MADE IN GUYANA ” Certification Mark
Administered by the Guyana Bureau of Standards (GNBS), this certification is the “GOLD STANDARD ” for local products. It ensures that exports like cassava flour, packaged mangoes, and spices meet international quality and safety requirements.
Rapid Adoption: By 2026, over 50 major local companies have been certified.
Global Recognition: The mark acts as a passport, allowing Guyanese products to bypass many of the technical barriers to entry in Caribbean and North American markets.
Value Addition: It specifically targets agro-processors, turning raw crops (like cassava and mangoes) into high-value, packaged consumer goods that fetch higher prices abroad.
Regional Logistics: Shipping to Antigua & CARICOM
The biggest hurdle for the “25 by 2025” plan has always been transportation. Guyana has addressed this through a new Regional Cargo Ferry and specialized shipping routes.
The Galleons Passage Ferry: This dedicated cargo vessel (a joint venture between Guyana, Barbados, and Trinidad) has significantly reduced the cost of moving food. It allows for bulk transport of root crops (cassava, sweet potato) and livestock.
Direct Routes to Antigua:
Consolidated Shipping: Guyana now uses consolidated shipping lanes where high-value crops (onions, processed mangoes) are grouped together to lower individual farmer costs.
Port Modernization: The new Vreed-en-Hoop Shorebase and improved wharves at NAMILCO and the Hope Coconut Estate allow for faster loading of perishables.
Cold Chain Investment: To ensure MANGOES and FRESH VEGETABLES survive the journey to Antigua, the Government has invested in REFREGERATED CONTAINERS (reefers) and COLD-STORAGE FACILITIES at the TIMEHRI and OGLE airports for AIR-FREIGHT options.
Notable CERTIFIED Agro-Processors:
Marcia’s Products: Certified for cassava bread and cassava cassareep.
Eagle Manufacturing Co.: Authorized for barley flour and split peas powder.
Roy’s Extra Quality Spices: Holds certification for over 30 varieties of locally processed spices and seasonings.
Amy’s Pomeroon Foods Inc.: Certified for its Mocha-flavored and roasted coffee beans.
Dixie’s Punch De Creme: Certified for its traditional Guyanese cream liqueurs.
Genuine Products: Certified for turmeric and ginger fusions, lime syrups, and pepper sauces.
Centaur Holdings: Certified for a wide range of value-added goods, including plantain flour, cassava bread, and herbal teas.
The New “AIR BRIDGE ” for Exports
To overcome the historical challenge of shipping perishables, the government has launched a strategic air-freight initiative to move food directly from farms to CARICOM neighbors.
Avianca Cargo Service: Launched in March 2026, this weekly service provides 65 tons of dedicated cargo capacity per flight between Guyana and Miami, serving as a critical link for international trade.
Direct Interior-to-CARICOM Flights: A new initiative announced in late 2025 aims to fly fresh produce directly from hinterland aerodromes (like Bartica) to Caribbean destinations within 12 months, bypassing coastal bottlenecks.
Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) Expansion: A new US$3.2 billion arrivals terminal and expanded cargo facilities are under construction (slated for 2027 completion) to manage the near doubling of international freight volumes seen since 2020.
Antigua Partnership: Antigua and Barbuda has prioritized importing Guyanese fruits and vegetables to reduce supermarket prices, with the first major shipments expected to be fully operational under the new logistics framework in early 2026.
7 KEYS: VISION, TEAM, PLAN, RESOURCES, EXECUTION, EVALUATION & LEADERSHIP.
President His Excellency Dr. Irfaan Ali’s VISION for agriculture centers on transforming Guyana into a Global Leader in food security and the “breadbasket” of the Caribbean through the “25 by 2025” initiative, which aims to slash the regional food import bill by 25%.
His leadership, supported by a specialised TEAM including Minister Zulfikar Mustapha and technical experts from India and Cuba, follows a comprehensive National Agriculture Development Strategy (2021–2025) that prioritizes high-value crops, mega-farms, and climate-smart technologies like ventilated tunnel houses.
To fuel this PLAN, the Government has scaled up RESOURCES significantly, moving from an $18.4 billion allocation in 2020 to a historic $104.6 billion in the 2025 Budget to fund critical infrastructure such as cold storage, farm-to-market roads, and agro-processing facilities.
EXECUTION is marked by the rapid expansion of corn and soya production to achieve livestock feeding self-sufficiency and the revitalization of traditional sectors like sugar and rice through modern mechanization.
EVALUATION of these efforts shows remarkable progress, with a 24% increase in food production across the region by late 2024 and Guyana emerging as the only self-sustainable food producer in the Caribbean despite Global supply chain disruptions.
LEADERSHIP:
President His Excellency Dr. Irfaan Ali’s LEADERSHIP is defined by a VISIONARY and decisive approach that has transformed Guyana into a GLOBAL LEADER in FOOD security.
OVERALL
Guyana is NO LONGER just “GROWING MORE FOOD “; it is building the INFRASTRUCTURE to sell it.
In 2025, Guyana successfully completed its FIRST major commercial shipment of SPICED cassava CHIPS and bottled MANGO PULP to Antigua, marking a shift from historical FOOD AID to modern COMMERCIAL TRADE.
5 Recommendations to GUYANA Government.
- SINGAPORE and QATAR GOVERNMENT MODELS FOR BEST PRACTICES including ZERO Corruption.
- Embassy in RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA with OIC 57 Nations AND IsDB with 57 Nations.
- Embassy in Addis Ababa, ETHOPIA: AU with 55 Nations.
- Embassy in NORWAY.
- DUBAI’s BEST PRACTICES for MEGA PROJECTS with a GUYANA MINISTRY OF PLANNING FOR 10/20/30 YEARS. Singapore and Guyana both became independent in 1966, BUT they took OPPOSITE paths.
ONWARD & UPWARD, with MOTTO, “One PEOPLE, on NATION, one Destiny.”
