Readout of the bilateral meeting with H.E. Mohamed Irfaan Ali President of the Co-Operative Republic of Guyana and H.E. Zulfikar Mustapha, Minister of Agriculture

Georgetown, Guyana - The FAO Director-General QU Dongyu met with H.E. Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of the Co-Operative Republic of Guyana, and H.E. Zulfikar Mustapha, Minister of Agriculture of Guyana, on the sidelines of the Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean (LARC38), hosted in Georgetown, Guyana.

The President welcomed the Director-General and provided an overview of the advancements of Guyana in different sectors, including livestock and embryo programmes, grains, egg industry, storage facility, and infrastructure.

The Director-General thanked the President not only for the organization of the regional conference, but also for his leadership in developing the capacity and potential of his country. He expressed the current historical significance of the President's leadership in view of Guyana’s Presidency of the UN Security Council in February, as well as hosting the FAO Regional Ministerial Conference, and being the headquarters of CARICOM.

The Director-General proposed enhanced collaboration with the Office of Planning and the FAO Chief Economist to drive innovation in the subregion, focusing on areas like livestock, rice, tropical fruits, aquaculture, tobacco, and cassava.

The President stressed that any project had to be at scale and not a pilot. He added that he would like to promote a special programme for people with disabilities in hydroponics; a programme for indigenous women managing farms, and a massive deployment for young people in agriculture.

The pair reaffirmed their commitment to continued cooperation and a strengthened partnership between the FAO and Guyana, working together towards shared goals and vision.