With most locally manufactured agro-produce still unable to break through the ‘glass ceiling’ that affords them uninhibited access to high-profile food outlets, the modest facilities of the Robb and Alexander streets, Guyana Shop, continue to be the critical local standard bearer for product promotion in the sector.
Whilst some local supermarkets have been making a marked effort to afford local agro-produce a higher profile on their shelves, the mainstream brands continue to dominate, their predominance, the marketing gurus tell us, being a function of consumer demand. However, one local manufacturer of popular spices told Stabroek Business earlier this week that access by local agro-produce to supermarket shelves in Guyana should be mandatory. This is not a view shared by the Stabroek Business, but one which, coming from a manufacturer anxious to break into ‘the big time,’ is understandable.
In recent years locally manufactured agro-produce has been able to make a stronger case for ‘top shelf’ exposure as a result of the significant strides made in the area of production presentation. Last week, however, a Georgetown supermarket manager told the Stabroek Business that “supply reliability” has been one of the major problems. The manager explained that particularly in the area of condiments and spices, the tendency by many customers to “stick to one brand” means that the supermarket “must have these brands on the shelves at all times. When shoppers can’t find the brand that they use in what is considered to be a high profile supermarket, they are not pleased,” the manager told this newspaper.
Small manufacturers in the agro-processing sector say that they are prepared to increase their production volumes if they have assurances of a reliable market. This, admittedly, has been a serious challenge for local agro-processors, bearing in mind their limited resources.
It is here that the Guyana Shop has stepped into the breach, setting strict but arguably less demanding rules for manufacturers wishing to have their products displayed in its shelves. The Guyana Shop’s primary criteria have to do with product quality, packaging & labelling and food safety credentials, adjudicated by the Government Analyst Food and Drugs Department.
On the basis of the available evidence the Guyana Shop continues to enhance its importance to the local agro- processing sector. Information provided to this newspaper indicates that during the first six months of 2019, 62 new local agro-products were introduced and found places on the shelves of the facility, a figure which officials told us far exceeds the Shop’s annual target of 40 new products. The list of new products include new brands of virgin coconut oil, table wines, pepper sauces, lime curds, achars, fruit juices, fruit concentrates and sugar cane juices. The advent of these new products have also brought several new local agro-processors into the limelight.
Part of the challenge now facing the Guyana Shop in its role as an incubator for local agro-produce is its modest proportions and limited shelf space. Given the contribution that it makes to the promotion of local agro-produce, the case for its expansion and remodelling is compelling.
