GEORGETOWN, Guyana – In a move set to transform Guyana’s agricultural sector, the South American nation is deepening agricultural cooperation with the Caribbean country the Dominican Republic to develop commercial-scale mango and avocado cultivation, according to Guyana’s Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha.
Mustapha recently held official bilateral talks with Dominican Republic Agriculture Minister Francisco Oliverio Espaillat Bencosme, where the two sides centered discussions on unlocking collaborative opportunities that will lift Guyana’s overall agricultural output, upgrade the country’s technical agricultural capabilities, and expand its range of commercial crops. The partnership, Mustapha emphasized, aligns directly with the Guyanese government’s goal of growing the national agriculture sector while opening new income streams for local producers.
“Guyanese farmers stand to gain enormous benefits from this collaboration,” Mustapha noted. “Our core focus right now is giving producers the support they need to enter these new large-scale cultivation projects. We will provide certified planting material, targeted skills training, and all the foundational support to get them active in these growing industries.”
One of the most significant outcomes of the recent bilateral discussions is a formal agreement to advance large-scale mango and avocado production across Guyana. Plans for a national large-scale mango industry have already moved forward through separate talks with former Dominican Republic President Hipólito Mejía, who has agreed to support the initiative. Mustapha revealed that on-the-ground implementation of the mango cultivation project could launch as early as the end of September 2024.
Pointing to the Dominican Republic’s established success in mango production, where the industry supports roughly 20,000 direct jobs, Mustapha said Guyana aims to replicate that economic impact with its own large-scale operations. Currently, Guyana produces small volumes of mangoes and avocados for local and regional markets, with no major commercial production footprint to tap into global export demand. The new partnership aims to close that gap.
To help local producers scale up operations, the Guyanese government will offer full support to interested farmers, including access to improved planting stock, expert technical guidance, and specialized professional training. As a key part of the bilateral collaboration, the Dominican Republic has committed to deploying a team of experienced agricultural specialists to Guyana. These experts will work side-by-side with local technical staff and smallholder farmers to build local capacity, design evidence-based crop development strategies, and put in place the supply and distribution systems required to support sustained commercial-scale production.