By Desilon Daniels
With the right support, the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA) may soon find its line of agro-processed products on supermarket shelves near you.
The products, marketed under the brand “GSA Foods,” were showcased at the recently-concluded GuyExpo 2014 and gave Guyanese a glimpse of just what can be locally produced.
In an interview with Stabroek News, Stacia Nelson-McDonald, Research Technician with the GSA, explained that the institute had taken part in this year’s expo in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and the reception from the public had been good.
A lot of persons, she said, were surprised by the range of items available. “A lot of persons don’t know that GSA produces such things. Maybe they know that GSA exists and we have agricultural facilities, but they don’t know that we produce all of these products,” Nelson-McDonald said. She continued, “They’re also surprised at the packaging and the labelling; they think it looks professional.”
According to Nelson-McDonald, the products were big hits, particularly the porridge mix, which is a combination of plantains, cassavas, and sweet potatoes. “It’s very nutritious; it’s high in iron and protein and it’s very good for everyone. Persons here at work even buy it for their babies,” Nelson-McDonald said.
She went on to say that GSA partnered with NAMILCO (National Milling Company of Guyana Inc.) to produce the porridge mix coupled with
