MINISTER of Agriculture, Mr. Robert Persaud, will deliver the opening charge at the National Workshop on Agro-Tourism today in Hotel Tower, Main Street, Georgetown.

The seminar is part of the second phase of the Agro-Tourism Linkages Project, which is funded by the Organisation of American States (OAS) and being executed by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).

The undertaking began here in November 2005 but is currently being implemented by IICA in seven Caribbean countries.

Themed ‘Strengthening of the Tourism Sector through the Development of Linkages with the Agricultural Sector in the Caribbean’, it will also include presentations by Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Mr. Manniram Prashad and Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Ms. Carolyn Rodrigues, on policy overview of the country’s agro-tourism activities.

Other presenters are Director of the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI), Dr. Oudho Homenauth; Director of Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), Mr. Indarnauth Haralsingh and the Chairperson of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG), Ms. Renata Chuck-A-Sang.

IICA Representative in Guyana, Mr. Ignatius Jean, said the objectives of today’s exercise includes identification of linkages between agriculture and tourism-specific activities that can be developed for mutually beneficial agro-tourism ventures, designing an institutional framework for the development of the agro-tourism sector and the promotion of key areas of competitiveness for Private Sector investment.

The organisers said more than 40 stakeholders, representing the widest range of activities in agriculture, tourism and related services have been invited.