Young Guyanese entrepreneurs looking for lucrative business opportunities should pay close attention to the country’s agriculture sector, says Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Captain Gerald Gouveia Jnr.
During his recent appearance on the Starting Point podcast, Gouveia said the agriculture sector is undoubtedly one of the country’s strongest avenues for wealth creation.
“If I am looking to make some serious money, it is going to be agriculture,” Gouveia said during a discussion about the Guyana Development Bank. He said budding entrepreneurs are eager to tap into the bank’s $3 million offer with no interest and zero collateral. Of all the sectors the bank will be inclined to back, Gouveia said agriculture “in the near future is going to be the fastest path to wealth generation in this country.”
He pointed not only to primary agriculture but also to opportunities in agro-processing, describing the prospects in both areas as “phenomenal.” The PSC Chairman argued that Guyana enters the sector with advantages that many of its regional counterparts do not possess, particularly the availability of land.
“We have a competitive advantage with our land. We have a competitive advantage with our geographic and economic position, being part of CARICOM and part of Latin America,” Gouveia said, adding, “We have more land than most Caribbean countries.”
Government policy is another reason Gouveia believes the sector is attractive, pointing to incentives available for agriculture through the national budget.
“All roads are therefore pointing to agriculture at this point,” Gouveia said.