Prime Minister Samuel Hinds wants to see more products from Guyana exported to Florida. He has challenged the Caribbean American business communityto explore the range of agricultural produceand processed foods available for import from here.While admitting that there were certain phyto sanitary issues affecting the import into Florida of some products, the prime minister said his government “is in discussions with the relevant US agencies about these issues,and we would like the business community in Florida
to join with u sin helping to have these issues resolved,” Hinds said.The prime minister,a Canadian-trained chemical engineer, wasin Florida last week for aseries of meetings and to witness the launch of the Space Shuttle, which was postponed. He took the opportunity to meet with the Guyanese American communities in Orlando and Miami. During his visit to Orlando, the prime minister addressed a town hall meeting and reception at the Timehri Banquet Hall, was guest of honor at a dinner hosted by the Guyanese owned Circa restaurant in Winter Park, toured the Guyanese-owned supermarket Caribbean Supercenter on West Colonial Drive, and visite dthe ChelonianInstitute in Oviedo whic hconducts research and tagging of sea turtles in Guyana.Hinds told the gathering of Guyanese atthe town hall meeting that significant opportunities exist for the import of non-traditionalGuyanese produce and products. He noted thathis government had putin place incentives andimproved infrastructure,including the bridge across the Berbice Riverand cold storage facilities at the main airport which “are helping to ensure increasedproduction andreliable and timely transportof products.” He saidboth the Guyana government and the private sectorat home would be openand eager to discuss with Florida business personsstrategies for increasingtrade between the two locations.During his visit to Caribbean Supercentersupermarket, the primeminister saw the rangeof Guyanese products onsale but was of the view that the range could beexpanded significantly.However, owner of the establishment, NaraineMoonesar, explained thatthere were constraintsto importing many productsfrom Guyana, whichwas not the case with importsfrom Trinidad andJamaica.The prime minister inturn argued that muchof the products and produce from Guyana were not the same as those exportedfrom Trinidad and Jamaica, and were subject to “different treatment”by the various US agencies,such as the Food andDrug Administration. He added that many of the products qualified for,and were in fact being exportedto New York; butdue to Florida’s climate,exports directly to that state were treated differently.Orlando MayorBuddy Dyer was representedat the town hallmeeting by his Directorof Constituency Services,Reginald Mc Gill, whohailed the contributionof Guyanese and otherCaribbean nationalsto the city. Welcome remarks were delivered byformer Guyanese diplomatWesley Kirton,and greetings were extendedon behalf of theOrange County Sheriff’s Office by Guyana-born Commander Russell Permaul. SamuelRoberts, President ofthe Guyanese AmericanCultural Associationof Central Florida(GACACF), also extendedgreetings to the primeminister on behalf of thatorganisation. The evening’sproceedings werechaired by attorney-atlawGail Seeram, and theprime minister was introducedby former Demba/Guymine engineer ErrolBaynes.The prime minister’sprogramme during hisvisit to Central Floridawas arranged by Florida’sCaribbeasn Sun newspaper;and among thosesponsoring the programof events were TimehriRestaurant and BanquetHall, Rosen Hotels, CircaRestaurant, the law officesof Gail Seeram,Caribbean Supercenter,Naraine’s Bakery,Laparkan Shipping, theGuyanese AmericanCultural Associationof Central Florida(GACACF), Mr. & Mrs.Errol Baines, DJ GaryOsman, the HighlandAgency, and Luxury
Comments are closed.