Guyana Reaffirms Leadership in Regional Food Security Effort
December 9 2025
Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha today underscored the critical role of millers in advancing the region’s food security agenda as he delivered the keynote address at the 28th General Annual Meeting of the Caribbean Millers Association, held at the Pegasus Suite in Georgetown.
Speaking under the theme “Navigating Global Shifts: Inflation, Tariffs, and Market Opportunities in a Changing World,” the minister emphasised that the Caribbean’s long-standing dependence on imported grain has left the region exposed to unpredictable global markets, supply chain disruptions, and price volatility.
Minister Mustapha urged regional industry partners to move beyond the traditional role of passive price-takers in international markets and instead work collectively to shape prices and strengthen resilience through deeper integration and regional production capacity.
He reaffirmed Guyana’s leadership in CARICOM’s initiative to reduce the region’s food import bill by 25% by 2025 +5, noting that achieving meaningful food security will require coordinated value-chain development across all sectors.
Outlining Guyana’s progress, the minister highlighted NAMILCO’s G$10 billion investment in a new processing mill, expanded wheat storage facilities, and port upgrades — improvements that will position the country to serve both local and regional markets more efficiently.
He also pointed to ongoing government collaboration to advance cassava flour development as part of efforts to diversify the region’s flour supply and reduce reliance on wheat imports.
Minister Mustapha said Guyana is steadily building the capacity to supply alternative flours to the wider Caribbean, strengthening both market opportunities and regional food autonomy.
He acknowledged that inflation, trade barriers, and logistical constraints continue to affect the sector but assured participants that the government, working through the CARICOM Ministerial Taskforce on Agriculture, is actively addressing non-tariff barriers and pursuing policies aimed at creating a more stable and predictable operating environment for millers across the region.
(Ministry of Agriculture)
