Agro-processors must unite to meet challenges

–Small Business Council
Small Business Council Chairman Keith Evelyn says there is need for collaboration among small agro-processors.

Evelyn, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of the Hand-in-Hand Group of Companies, told a meeting at the Commerce Ministry that small businesses have peculiar problems including access to finance, since not all may meet the “classical” requirements that banks look for such as a heavy collateral base, complicated business plan and an accessible, guaranteed market. In this regard, he said finance will be a key area that the Council will be looking into to assist small businesses, a Government Information agency (GINA) press release said.

Other areas that the Council will focus on include access to markets, since most businesses have a local market and not a global one where niche markets can be found and access to information and technology by providing services such as assisting with tax returns, accounting and environmental permits.

Collaboration among agro-processors will allow the Council to obtain information that can be passed on to government to show what is needed to assist them, the Chairman said. “We are looking at moving small agro-processors into larger ones and hopefully make them competitive globally,” Evelyn said.

Meanwhile, General Manager of the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) Nizam Hassan told producers that it can assist by providing training, exporting and facilitating the transfer of information between producers and sellers. He encouraged them to standardize their products since this is “very important in fact it is what is needed for us to improve and market our products.”

Hassan said this is one of the main reasons why an association should be formed; to assist in marketing products. “We can individually sell our product but collectively we can market it,” he said.
Additionally, Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) Technical Officer, Elton Patram said “GNBS is working with small businesses to implement standards…we see the need for standards and ask that you implement them into your business strategy.”

According to GINA the Small Business Act, passed in 2004, caters for a Small Business Council which has four main priorities: setting up a more enabling business environment, providing technical assistance, access to capital and access to information which is vital in making businesses competitive.