Comments on: ‘Grow more food’ more than a campaign – Jagdeo

By: La vie est bonne!

La vie est bonne! — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:31:57 +0000

The current regime has more empty slogans than anyone can remember.
However, you fail to see this. What a pity!!!!

By: gtbeat

gtbeat — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 01:51:23 +0000

Too much rice flour = Berri Berri, he gave alot of Guyanese that.

By: gtbeat

gtbeat — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 01:41:35 +0000

Difference is that these were empty slogans under the PNC,

By: Joe Coxall

Joe Coxall — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 22:02:54 +0000

LFSB coined the phrase “grow more food” more than three generations ago and here it is being regurgated again. Something got lost in translation, since Guyana has not made any significant progress in increased food production since.

I clearly remember getting all excited about this campaign and since my yard was all concrete, I planted a tomato tree in an old paint tin filled with sand. It grew well and blossomed, but the blossoms kept falling off, and that was the beginning and end of my grow more food effort. Friends told me that what I did not have a green thumb.

Today we know a lot more about what it takes for a plant to grow and produce fruit other than a green thumb. Gardening in the USA has become a plug and play pastime, yet I somehow get the impression that these simple techniques has still to reach the average Guyanese who need to produce or perish. (Someone please correct me if I am wrong)

There should be sub themes to the grow more food compaign, Like “convert your weeds and silt into food” or “use stored sunshine to fertilize your plants”such catchy phrases normally peaks the human curiousity.

The ministry of Agriculture should put out utube video clips, demonstrating how to use yard waste and convert it into compost. also the importance of a PH soil tester.

A bird or bat could drop a seed to the ground and it will grow if conditions are right. Us humans need a better method than that. We need to know how to make the conditions right before dropping seed. I do believe that is what is being lost in translation.

Joe.

By: Chemist

Chemist — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:34:06 +0000

Split peas and wheat was never banned, imports were restricted to retain foriegn exchange. The restriction was lifted when Mr. Hoyte attained leadership under the PL480 agreement. I am craving for a piece of cassava pone right now or some quinches, how about you?

By: Chemist

Chemist — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:29:19 +0000

It is nice to see persons giving compliments where they are due, though posthumously. Just remember that Jagdeo like most of us professionals is a product of the Burnham era. LFSB was one of the world’s most intelligent men. We will see a lot of things he was working towards then will start making sense now. Remember some of his other ideas, the hydropower projects, experiment in growing hybrid wheat, potatoes, onions etc., etc. The latter two are happening in Little Barbados. Let’s make his dream come alive for the revival of Guyana.

By: Arcadia Terry

Arcadia Terry — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:49:49 +0000

Mr President the people of guyana I am sure are willing to take up the challenge if you identify the region and total amount of land a farmer will be given to cultivate. Give them an offer like was offered to Barbados and Jamaica with assistance from the ministry of Agriculture .

By: guy123

guy123 — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:35:48 +0000

Yes,Burnham’s words were “produce or perish” And many did produce and they did very well their hard work bore fruit,but lo and behold they still ran away to,the USA ,UK and Canada,complaining of starvation,and yet when they go back to Guyana on Holiday,their suitcasses cannot hold the amount of ca ca belly and qwakwari to take back ,ow!!

By: miltonbruce

miltonbruce — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:20:26 +0000

Remember produce or perish? Thank you Mr Burnham.

By: gtmassive

gtmassive — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:06:42 +0000

I was little when LFSB said, “Feed clothes and house ourselves by 1975.” He wanted us to eat what we produce, hence the reason for banning split peas and wheat. Do you know that supermarkets in the US sell rice flour? We would not have been alone. We would have also been efficient by now, when it came to making cakes, pastry and bread with the rice flour.

By: chetty12

chetty12 — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:44:20 +0000

it is good to see the government has realised that agriculture is what will player a greater role in the development of the Guyanese economy and not tourism, which we were busy promoting over the years, even thou we have a number of execellent tourist attraction.

This is what the late President LFS Burnham trying to promote and had understand so well but for some reason or other did not materialised at the ttime.

By: La vie est bonne!

La vie est bonne! — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:11:46 +0000

Grow more food…. that’s a page from LFSB’s manifest.
Hmmm… I wonder what those PPPers have to say to that.
They said LFSB never did anything good for Guyana.
He must be turning over in his grave!

By: june

june — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:38:32 +0000

I think that the Government should form a body or get someone to spare head a farming project. This would mean employment while again feeding the nation, it would be an ideal win win situation.