GEORGETOWN, Guyana – His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of Guyana, will deliver the feature address at the opening of the CARICOM Agri-Investment Forum in Georgetown, Guyana, at 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 19, 2022 President Ali is the Lead Head of Government with responsibility for agriculture in the CARICOM Quasi Cabinet.
Visiting Heads of Government and CARICOM Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett will also speak at the event.
The exhibition will be open to the public on Thursday from 13:00hrs to 19:00hrs, and on Friday and Saturday from 10:00hrs to 19:00hrs at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.
It features a number of key investment-related activities inclusive of a country-specific Platform that will see investors presenting bankable projects for investment consideration in agriculture in specific CARICOM Member States.
Seven Heads of Government are attending the Agri-Investment Forum. They are Chair of the Community, the Hon. John Briceno, Prime Minister of Belize; Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. the Hon. Keith Rowley; Prime Minister of Barbados, the Hon. Mia Mottley; Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, the Hon. Gaston Browne; Prime Minister of Dominica, the Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit; Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, the Hon. Philip Pierre; and Premier of Montserrat, the Hon. Joseph Farrell.
The Bahamas’ delegation is headed by the Hon. Chester Cooper, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, and includes the Hon. Clay Sweeting, Minister of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs; Leonardo Lightbourne, Parliamentary Secretary; Latia Duncombe, Acting Director General of Tourism, Investments & Aviation; Phylicia Hanna, Director of Investments; and H.E. Winston Pinnock.
On Wednesday they met with Guyana Prime Minister Mark Phillips to discuss mutual opportunities in agri-investments and agri-tourism.
As the Guyana Chronicle reported in an Editorial on Wednesday: “The May 19-21 Agri-Investment Forum & Expo starting at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre on Thursday invites participants to ‘Showcase products and services, network with local, regional and international businesses and investors” and “Gain invaluable knowledge from pioneers in the agriculture industry.’
“Sponsored by the Guyana Government, Go-Invest and One Guyana, the weekend event aims to encourage and attract Guyanese and business entities (at home and abroad) interested in investing in agriculture in CARICOM’s largest country with the most agricultural potential.
“The forum and expo come at a time when Guyana is responsible for agriculture within CARICOM and with President, Dr Irfaan Ali as the Head-of-Government responsible for encouraging the region to reduce its sky-high multi-billion-dollar food-importation bill by at least 25 per cent in 2025, and encouraging fast-forward movement towards regional food security, precisely when the entire world is reeling under the tidal-wave effects of rising food shortages and prices.”
