Growing the agriculture and agro-processing sectors: A conversation with Professor Pat Francis, Head of the Institute of Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Guyana

SB: After the recent Market Day at Mocha, you advocated that the farmers and agro-processors there be afforded a market as well as processing & packaging facilities. Do you think that the scale of their operations warrant that level of investment?

PF: For the last fifty five years we have been asking people to plant, to produce and to grow local. Farmers have produced and there is no market… with the exception of rice, that is. The farmers in Mocha/Arcadia have the acreage. Perhaps a medium-sized market outlet may be appropriate. Once farmers can see that markets are there, production will increase.