Export Dominance in Honey by 2030
By: Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News|
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — Guyana is moving to transform its apiculture industry into a regional powerhouse. Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha announced that the nation is ambitiously pursuing total self-sufficiency in honey production, with a strategic goal to become a leading exporter within the Caribbean by 2030.
Speaking at a recent Annual General Meeting of the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA), the Minister revealed that the government is looking beyond raw honey, targeting the “vast potential” of high-value by-products derived from the country’s unique biodiversity.
Beyond the Jar: Value-Added Apiculture
The roadmap to 2030 involves a shift from artisanal harvesting to a sophisticated value-added chain. Minister Mustapha highlighted several key products slated for development:
- Beeswax & Royal Jelly: Essential for the global cosmetics and health supplement industries.
- Specialty Honey: Leveraging Guyana’s pristine rainforests and diverse flora to create unique flavor profiles that command premium prices on the international market.
- Pollination Services: Recognizing that a healthy bee population is the backbone of the broader “crop and livestock” expansion currently underway in the country.
Seafood Success: Prawns Reaching Regional Plates
While honey is the new frontier, Guyana’s traditional exports are already making significant inroads. The Minister noted that Guyana has become a key supplier of prawns to neighboring markets.
- Export Partners: Guyana is currently shipping prawns to Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago.
- Massy Partnership: Minister Mustapha confirmed recent high-level meetings with the Managing Director of Massy to explore using the retail giant’s regional distribution network to funnel more Guyanese agricultural products into Caribbean households.
Infrastructure: Cooling the Supply Chain
To support this massive agricultural surge, the government is investing heavily in logistics and storage to ensure that “farm-to-table” quality is maintained across borders.
- New Cold Storage: Contracts have been awarded for the construction of cold storage facilities in Charity, Parika, and Port Kaituma.
- Agro-Processing Port: Work is set to begin this year on a dedicated agro-processing port facility in Parika, designed to streamline the export of perishable goods and reduce post-harvest losses.
A Multi-Tiered Growth Strategy
The expansion of Guyana’s honey and seafood sectors is part of a broader vision to position the country as the “breadbasket of the Caribbean.” By investing in the “support services” of packaging, logistics, and cold storage, Minister Mustapha believes Guyana is finally building the resilience needed to dominate the regional food market. As the 2030 deadline approaches, the buzz around Guyana’s agriculture is no longer just about potential—it’s about production.
