President hails Santa Fe mega farm

President David Granger (second from left) , Barbados Prime Minister Freundel Stuart (left) and the visiting delegation received a warm welcome at the Lethem airstrip by school children of Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo, who were waving the flags of Guyana and Barbados (Ministry of the Presidency photo)

President David Granger has hailed the Santa Fe Mega Farm in the Rupununi as “a reaffirmation of the bond between Guyana and the Caribbean, more so Barbados.”

This declaration was made during a visit to the 29,000 acres agricultural venture by Granger and Barbadian Prime Minister, Freundel Stuart, yesterday.

This venture located in the North Rupununi, Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo (Region Nine) represents a major investment by prominent Barbadian investor, Sir Kyffin Simpson in Guyana’s agriculture sector.

President David Granger (second from left) , Barbados Prime Minister Freundel Stuart (left)  and the visiting delegation received a warm welcome at the Lethem airstrip by school children of Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo, who were waving the flags of Guyana and Barbados (Ministry of the Presidency photo)
President David Granger (second from left) , Barbados Prime Minister Freundel Stuart (left) and the visiting delegation received a warm welcome at the Lethem airstrip by school children of Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo, who were waving the flags of Guyana and Barbados (Ministry of the Presidency photo)

According to a release from the Ministry of the Presidency, Prime Minister Stuart said that the success of the Santa Fe farm can serve as a model for other investors from other parts of the Caribbean and further afield to get on board as Guyana is definitely open for business and investments.

“We have come to see for ourselves because we have a message to take back to Barbados…the project at Santa Fe is as good an example as any to be found of the wisdom of venturing out of Barbados and other parts of the Caribbean and coming here into Guyana and invest. If the Brazilians can do it, if the Chinese can do it…we here in CARICOM can do it as well,” he is quoted as saying.

The release notes that President Granger said that Guyana can benefit from the expertise of Barbados, which is known for its world-class tourism product.