A United States (US) importer recently reconfirmed his intention to purchase butternut squash from Guyana and expressed an interest in importing other produce in the future.

According to a press release from the United States Agency for International Development/ Guyana Trade and Investment Support (GTIS) project Frank Dandrea, president of Dandrea Produce, a New-Jersey-based company that imports fruits and vegetables to sell in US markets, expressed an interest in importing the vegetable at the Produce Marketing Association’s (PMA) Fresh Summit International Convention and Exposition held last year.

Butternut squash was identified as a potential export, given its high market value and strong demand in US markets at that Exposition.

The squash is well-suited to Guyana’s growing climate and the country is well-positioned to supply the US market during the winter months when domestically grown butternuts are not available.

Since the team first met with Dandrea the National Agricultural Research Institute and local farmers have been working together to produce test crops of different varieties of the squash. Dandrea was pleased with the progress made over the past year and the squash grown locally.

The release said Dandrea reconfirmed his intention to import the produce at a recently held PMA in Houston, Texas. It is expected that farmers will begin exporting the squash to his company in January.

The release said Dandrea also expressed an interest in importing papayas and other produce as he expects the collaboration to be a long-term partnership.