By: Marvin Cato | HGP Nightly News |
The opposition’s Shadow Minister of Agriculture in the 12th Parliament, Vinceroy Jordan, has accused the incumbent administration of hypocrisy regarding its newly announced focus on agro-processing, particularly plantain chip production.
Jordan said the coalition government had laid the groundwork for such initiatives years ago — only to be mocked by the current government when similar proposals were introduced between 2017 and 2019.
He explained that the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) administration had sought to promote agro-processing facilities aimed at creating jobs, lowering food costs, and expanding local and export markets for agricultural products.
“When we put forward plans for plantain chip factories, the government then laughed at us. They said we were sending our children to sell plantain chips on the road and doing things that belittled them,” Jordan recounted.
Now, he said, the same concept is being touted as a key economic initiative by the Ministry of Agriculture.
Jordan argued that former President David Granger’s vision for agriculture is only now being realized under the current administration, emphasizing that agro-processing is essential for transforming Guyana’s economy.
“The government knows fully well that this economy cannot be transformed unless we have agriculture — and one of the key aspects of that is ensuring that we have agro-processing,” he asserted.
The renewed debate follows the Ministry of Agriculture’s announcement during Agriculture Month 2025 that the New Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC)’s Plantain Chip Factory at Parika, East Bank Essequibo, is now fully operational.
The ministry also revealed plans to expand agro-processing capacity nationwide.
Jordan said the government’s late embrace of the sector represents a missed opportunity for earlier industrial growth and job creation.
“Agro-processing, especially plantain chips, is an area where we can create jobs — exactly what David Granger envisioned. Had the coalition’s plans been implemented then, Guyana would be years ahead today,” he stated.
He added that as the Gas-to-Energy Project comes on stream, Guyana must prioritize lowering manufacturing costs and expanding agro-processing in every region to maximize value-added potential.
Economists note that agro-processing could become a major contributor to Guyana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) if developed strategically and supported through public-private investment.
