Agricultural diversification being further pursued  
-various products to be showcased at Miami event

Georgetown, GINA, October 26, 2007.

Government’s vision for advanced agricultural development through the promotion of diversification is being further pursued when a variety of local products will be showcased at the 10th America’s Food and Beverage Show in Miami, Florida from October 29 to 31 2007.
            Guyana’s participation involves the establishment of a booth that will display products such as butternut squash, hot-peppers, oranges and eddoes. This is part of ongoing activities to promote produce cultivated in Guyana and help to attract additional export markets.
            A release from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Guyana Trade and Investment Support (GTIS) Project stated that Guyana’s participation will place special emphasis on marketing the butternut squash.
Cultivation of this crop is new to Guyana but is being promoted in response to the high demand on the international market. Trial batches of butternut squash grown in
Guyana have been successful and with a strong market demand, the Ministry of Agriculture and USAID/GTIS has identified this produce as ideal to help Guyana increase its presence in the international export market.
Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud, United States Ambassador to Guyana David Robinson, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director Peter Hubbard and General Manager of the New Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) Nizam Hassan are scheduled to attend the event.
While in Florida, the team will meet the Guyanese diaspora and it is expected that Minister Persaud will host an informational meeting on November 1 to encourage investment and involvement in various sectors from importing and exporting to shipping and general investment in Guyana’s growing and rapidly diversifying agriculture industry.
It is expected that some 300 exhibitors from 28 countries will participate in the show to promote more than 5,000 different products to buyers from throughout the Western Hemisphere. Buyers that attend the show in search of fruit and vegetables include cruise lines, supermarkets, hotels, restaurants, wholesalers and exporters/importers. In past years, upwards of 7,500 people have attended the show, and more than US$125 million dollars in sales have been finalized.
            Over the years, Guyana has participated in various international trade shows and exhibitions to attract more markets.
            At present, Guyana exports fruits and vegetables to regional markets in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, Dominica, the Dominican Republic and St. Lucia. Its extra-regional markets are Canada, France, Martinique, St. Maarten, United Kingdom (UK), United States of America (USA), Italy and Switzerland. 

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