Agriculture · Region 3
The island’s NDC chairman makes the case for direct shipping, processing investment and fairer prices.
By the numbers
~30 farmers · 200,000–300,000 lbs a week · GYD $160 earned vs $180 at Parika · GYD $300M to modernise processing
Wakenaam grows far more food than its size suggests, yet its farmers keep too little of the value, the chairman of the island’s Neighbourhood Democratic Council says, and he believes the fixes are within reach.
Tareeq Ahmad, Chairman of the Wakenaam Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), says roughly 30 farmers on the island produce up to 300,000 pounds of food a week, but weak pricing, thin transport links and limited processing keep their returns lower than they should be.
How much does Wakenaam actually produce?
A lot, for an island this size. Ahmad said about 30 farmers work the land collectively, harvesting and moving produce on a steady Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday schedule, two to three working days a week depending on conditions. Together they turn out an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 pounds of produce weekly. That output, he argues, is proof Wakenaam should be treated as a serious contributor to Guyana’s food economy, not an afterthought.
Why are farmers earning less than they should?
Price, and who sets it. Because Wakenaam has no major buying or processing facility of its own to anchor demand, local prices track whatever is happening at mainland markets, especially Parika. When produce fetches around GYD $180 at Parika, Wakenaam farmers typically receive about GYD $160. They still make a profit, Ahmad said, but a consistent GYD $180 to $200 would make the work far more sustainable.
Wakenaam is not a place waiting to be rescued. It is a productive community that needs the right logistics and investment to finally earn what its land already produces.
Would a direct route to Georgetown help?
That is the chairman’s central ask. A direct Wakenaam-to-Georgetown shipment line, he said, would cut out layers of middlemen and push more money back to the people doing the farming. The structure he laid out is simple:
- farmers hold the island price near GYD $160
- transport and distribution add roughly GYD $40 to $50 per unit
- Georgetown shoppers still pay a competitive GYD $220 to $230
Everyone in that chain gains: better pay for farmers, fair prices for consumers and fresher produce reaching the capital.
What about processing and value-added production?
This is where the bigger money sits. Ahmad pointed to a processing facility on the island whose owner has already invested more than GYD $150 million in modern equipment. Turning it into a fully integrated operation, one that takes raw produce all the way to finished goods, could require around GYD $300 million more. On rice, farmers stick to proven GRDB strains such as GRDB 14, GRDB 16 and GRDB 196. Calcium-enriched varieties exist, but they have not caught on locally without buyer demand or a price premium to justify them.
What does Wakenaam need next?
A coordinated second phase, Ahmad said, built on five moves: direct market links to Georgetown, upgraded processing, better post-harvest handling, stronger farmer training and more investment in value-added products. Agencies such as the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) already provide technical support he wants deepened.
His underlying message was part business case, part love letter to the island. Wakenaam, in his telling, is a productive community that simply needs the right logistics and investment to finally earn what its land already produces.
The island’s push sits inside a wider Region 3 investment story, echoing the call from the Guyana Office for Investment for local entrepreneurs to seize regional opportunities.
Sources: Remarks by Tareeq Ahmad, Chairman, Wakenaam Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), on agricultural production, pricing and development in Region 3, May 2026.