Government has decided to start working on the National Agriculture Diversifica-tion Strategy using its own resources while still negotiating with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for assistance for same.
Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud told Stabroek News that this decision was made following the agriculture diversification summit which was held in December last and which brought together all the stakeholders.
The forum was aimed at crystallizing the government’s position and outlining clearly the proposed diversification method. However, Persaud said government was still in the process of negotiations and discussions with the IDB on the final strategy approach and model.
He said government is looking to set up a ministerial body to lead the diversification drive and that body will also look at the Sugar Action Plan to see what proposals have been submitted and which ones could work based on negotiations with the IDB.
“So we will be tackling the move to diversify our agriculture sector from about four or five sides and we will at least start this work with our own resources,” he contended.
Persaud said Guyana’s final strategy would have also benefited from the examples presented by representatives of Brazil, Chile and El Salvador, who have all gone the route of diversification and have reaped immeasurable benefits.
At that very forum, President Bharrat Jagdeo, who is also Caricom’s spokesperson on agriculture, had stated that Guyana would have to capitalize on the experiences of developing and developed countries in crafting its own strategy.
He had said too that Guyana’s constraints in this regard, were being addressed at the level of the Food and Agricultural Organisation.
