Guyana has finalised a Trade Protocol with Trinidad and Tobago to increase the exportation of agriculture and forest products to that country.

According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release the Guyana/ Trinidad and Tobago Fresh Agricultural Produce and Forest Products Trade Protocol outlines the terms and conditions relating to commercial shipments of defined agro-products from Guyana to Trinidad.

There was no indication when the protocol was signed but it had been spoken about for sometime now.

GINA said it paves the way for a number of agro-commodities to gain entry to that country.

The terms and conditions address key areas such as packaging and packaging facilities, product quality, storage, inspection and certification, exporter/ importer responsibilities, pesticide management and farm inspection, GINA said. The finalization of the Protocol comes in wake of Guyana’s increasing ability to export larger volumes of agriculture and forestry products to the region, stemming from the ongoing market-led ‘Grow more food’ campaign.

According to GINA, discussions for the signing of the Protocol started in 2006. At that time only six items were being exported but following talks between Minister Robert Persaud and his Trinidadian counterpart the number of items increased to 26.

Since then, Trinidad agriculture officials have made several visits to Guyana to inspect farms in regions two, three, four, six and ten.