Farmers and businesses forge partnerships at symposium

Farmers, agro-processors, caterers, and suppliers were able to maximise opportunities offered through a Farmer-to-Business symposium, aimed at connecting them with hotels, supermarkets, and other commercial consumers. The initiative seeks to foster valuable partnerships for growth and innovation in the agriculture sector.

The event, hosted at Splashmins Resort on Wednesday, was conducted by the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) in collaboration with WUSC Caribbean, the Ministry of Agriculture, and other stakeholders.

Chairman of the Agriculture Committee at the GCCI, Brian Edwards, said the symposium created an environment for meaningful partnerships.

“This is an opportunity for both sectors to interact with each other, where farmers can introduce themselves and showcase their products available for purchase. The hospitality industry can, in turn, communicate their specific needs and requirements. This event enables the hospitality sector to buy local while allowing farmers to improve and expand their businesses. Today, we hope that relationships will be forged, marking the beginning of ongoing discussions. We have an obligation to farmers to continuously engage with businesses, so they can grow together, strengthen the industry, and reduce imports of fresh fruits and vegetables.”

Agriculture Business Marketing Officer at WUSC Caribbean’s Sustainable Agriculture in the Caribbean (SAC) project, Parmanan Chandranauth, emphasised that the aim is to help farmers and attendees achieve sustainability while enhancing their income and productivity.

“We have been visiting various farming communities in Regions Two, Three, Five, Six and 10 to build capacity and provide awareness sessions. What we have found is that one of the major concerns among farmers and agro-processors is access to information—where is the next market? How do they connect with it? Often, there has been a lack of engagement, but these sessions are always interactive,” he said.

He further noted that such collaborations have created opportunities for farmers to access financing and support.

“In fact, farmers have been able to influence market action strategies. For example, a representative from GBTI Growth spoke this morning. Over the past three years, they have been engaging with farmers who expressed the need for easier access to financing. As a result, they established GBTI Growth. Soon after, the government enacted legislation to simplify the financing process. The entire market system surrounding the farming and agriculture sector has been strengthened, and it continues to improve due to this collaboration between the private and public sectors,” Chandranauth stated.

Agro-processor and farmer Lance Hinds, of House of Honey, told Ignite News that he benefited from information on potential partners for value-added products.

A section of the gathering  at the symposium