Guyana could reclaim food basket title -Pres. Granger

Speaking at Monday's World Food Day observance in Linden, the President said that for Guyana to reclaim its enviable title as ‘the food basket of the Caribbean’ there must be a shift in production patterns to satisfy market demands and a realignment of agricultural production to meet the demands of local, national, regional and international markets. 

Guyana could reclaim food basket title  -Pres. Granger

As Guyana observes and celebrates Agriculture month, the government is pushing for agriculture to remain a mainstay of the Guyanese economy.

President David Granger believes that the country still has the potential to guarantee local and regional food security, but there must be more investment and innovation in the sector.

Speaking at Monday’s World Food Day observance in Linden, the President said that for Guyana to reclaim its enviable title as ‘the food basket of the Caribbean’ there must be a shift in production patterns to satisfy market demands and a realignment of agricultural production to meet the demands of local, national, regional and international markets.

“There must be more investment and encouragement on the part of the region for farming and agriculture; there must be innovation. We cannot go on doing the same things over and over again. We have to start thinking about packaging. We have to start thinking about markets. We have to start thinking about canning… The message of this Food Day is that you can do it; what I want you to understand is that we can produce food for all. I want you to aim for that and make sure that this World Food Day is understood at every level, at the level of the individual, at the level of the family and household, at the level of the municipality, at the level of the regional administration, at the level of Central Government and at the level of the Caribbean Community [CARICOM],” he said.  

The recent hurricanes, which have severely damaged the agricultural sectors of some Eastern Caribbean islands coupled with adverse and extreme weather patterns caused by climate change, food security continued to be threatened. President Granger, who has been advocating for a ‘green economy’ and a sustainable model for development, explained that climate change can also affect food production by accelerating the spread of pests and plant diseases; altering soil fertility and increasing soil erosion and affecting plant pollination and the stability of fishing grounds.

Nevertheless, with the exception of seasonal floods and drought, Guyana has been spared the brunt of the perils of unstable and catastrophic weather patterns. In fact, the country enjoys a measure of food security in meat, rice, root tubers and vegetables. However, access to food remains uneven with pockets of extreme poverty, particularly in some hinterland communities. The President said that Guyana can ensure improved access to nutritional food for its population but it must address the deficiencies in national food security to take its place as a provider of ‘food for all’ for the country and the Caribbean. He also cautioned Guyanese against becoming complacent as a food secure nation.

“Every time there is extreme weather, you might find more insect pests and soil erosion. Climatic changes will affect food production. So don’t believe that because right now we are food secure, it will go on forever. There has to be greater environmental consciousness and within the Caribbean Region, this is something we must take very seriously,” the Head of State said.

Speaking of Guyana’s position in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the President reinforced the country’s commitment to the establishment of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) and to the advancement of the principles outlined in strategies such as the Caribbean Community Agricultural Policy (2011); the CARICOM Agribusiness Development Strategy of 2012; CARICOM Regional Food and Nutrition Security Policy (2010), and Action Plan (2011); and in the Liliendaal Declaration on Agriculture and Food Security of 2009.

The President also pointed out that the Caribbean Region can ensure greater food security by helping to reduce its mammoth food import bill of more than US$ 4B per year, particularly through implementation of the Caribbean Community’s Agricultural Policy (CAP) calls for increased investment in the agriculture food sector; the adoption ofinnovation and technologies across value chains and for the development of strong agro-processing industries.

“Let us think Caribbean, let us think about the whole Region. Every year, the Caribbean imports about US $4B worth of food. Much of that food could be produced right here in Guyana and it is for places like Region 10 to take a step forward to increase its food production to get a bite of that big food import bill,” he said.

Meanwhile, Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Noel Holder in his remarks informed that the intermediate savannahs of Region Ten has been earmarked as Guyana’s new agricultural frontier as the country continues its quest to narrow the developmental gap between the coastland and the hinterland. Additionally, agricultural stations are being established at all of the major eco-zones across the country.

“These stations will demonstrate the agricultural potential the various areas, establish nurseries for planting materials, provide herds of cattle and small ruminants to provide breeding stock for farmers and provide seed stocks for entrepreneurs. These initiatives will create new employment opportunities, both directly and indirectly, as the country’s economic base moves inland and will compliment other activities such as mining, forestry and support services,” the Minister said.

The theme for this year’s World Food Day observance is, “Change the future of migration-Invest in food security and rural development”. 

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