With the model farm joint venture between Neal and Massy’s (NM) Geddes Grant division and the Government serving as a “hub”, the eventual participation of other private sector investors in the Mon Repos project is envisaged.
Some of the tomato plants at the model farm.
“It is the Neal and Massy Group’s contribution towards the government’s Grow More campaign and also in developing farmers to grow more. So the farm is meant to be a demonstration plot, at the end of the day we will have this farm, which other farmers can come and look at”, said Seu Sarran Prasad, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Geddes Grant.
President Bharrat Jagdeo, who is the lead head of Government for Agriculture in Caricom has persistently urged the private sector to pay greater interest in the agricultural sector and in November last year, the conglomerate and the Agriculture Ministry held a commemoration ceremony for a modern demonstration farm and training facility at Mon Repos. It was reported at the time that NM donated $13M to the project, which is expected to be fully completed within the next five years.
In an interview with Stabroek News on Thursday, Prasad, noting that the company is in the
A farm worker examines the peppers at the Neal and Massy, Mon Repos farm.
first year of developing the 10-acre farm, said that some of the necessary infrastructure has already been put in place. Operations began last October, and Prasad said that this involved converting the virgin land, putting in the necessary drainage and irrigation infrastructure, creating the beds and testing the soil. The Government had made the land available and is also providing technical assistance through the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI). The Institute can utilize the facility to train farmers to be better able to develop their crops.
The overall objectives, according to Prasad, are to make the farm viable so that at the end of the day, it must provide a positive cash return and also to select crops that either have the potential to be sold on the export market or can be substituted for imports. He explained that farmers are already providing an adequate supply of vegetables such as bora and boulanger, and they would not want to venture into these crops but crops such as turmeric, which is used in the curry powder manufacturing process here and a lot of which is imported, in the import substitution scenario, they would grow it locally and sell to the manufacturers. The CEO noted that they are still in the process of selecting crops, which can best fulfill these requirements but are looking particularly at certain varieties of hot pepper and ginger.
Bountiful: A pepper plant at the Neal and Massy Mon Repos farm.
Nestled within an enclave of agricultural facilities at Mon Repos, the farm is well laid out and several crops such as pepper, corn, tomatoes, bananas, among others are currently being grown. Drainage and irrigation systems have been set up. Pipes and hoses carry water to the plants in an efficient manner. A farmhouse has been constructed.
Prasad disclosed that soil tests have been done to determine nutrient deficiencies and they are replenishing these so that it can accommodate the crops. The company is partnering closely with NARI. “We are now testing the soil, the response of several crops that we are now growing there. These are basically on a test scenario to see which crops would fare best given the soil and other conditions in this area”, he disclosed adding that hopefully, after the first year, they would be able to select which crops to grow on a larger scale.
Chairman of the Agriculture sub-committee of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Beni
The pipes that carry water to irrigate the crops.
Sankar had recently told the Stabroek Business that a business plan for the creation of a major multi-stakeholder private sector investment in the country’s agricultural sector could be completed within a few days and critical decisions with regard to moving ahead with the investment are likely to be made over the next month. He had said that this revolves around an envisaged joint venture partnership between NM and around twenty private sector companies including some major players in the business community.
Prasad said that if the possibilities are great from an economic standpoint, and the farm can be a model for (cultivation) on an expanded basis, it could be the incubation for an enlarged concept to take place. He noted that if it is enlarged, it becomes more viable. There is a role for the private sector to play, he emphasized and NM is looking at enlarging the concept.
A section of the Neal and Massy farm with the farmhouse at left.
Meantime, after the crops to be cultivated are identified and they are viable, the “desirable next step” would be commercialization of the farm. This, the CEO said, would entail expanding the acreage under cultivation and would involve taking up 30 to 40 acres of land to bring the total area under cultivation to about 50 acres. He reiterated that the company welcomes the initiative by the PSC and wants private sector companies to join with NM in the initiative as the venture needs wider private sector participation. Prasad posited that the farm could be the “hub” around which expanded development could take place. He disclosed that the PSC has already indicated an interest in having its membership contribute resources towards expanding the model concept into a farm noting that once this happens, the economic viability will certainly be enhanced.
The infrastructure around which the expansion can occur, has already been put in place, he noted pointing to the drainage structures, farmhouse and bridge.
“Members of the private sector can contribute additional capital resources which will be required in order to provide an expansion in the concept thereby enhancing the economic viability”, he stated, noting that there are lands at Mon Repos available for expansion. Prasad had said earlier that at the end of the day, the farm would revert back to the government so that they could engage in the kind of activities on a national level that would benefit other farmers from seeing what has gone on there. He later noted that once there is commercial production, it would be managed by the Company.
Meantime, he noted, the farm is all about best practices. “I think it is being done with a view
Looking after the plants: Workers at the Neal and Massy model farm at Mon Repos on Wednesday.
toward enhancing farmers knowledge of what good practices in farming ought to be and how you could go about doing it in a very structured and logical way”, he stated. Prasad said that the facility does not encompass many technological or scientific practices and the focus is on bringing out the basic things that must be in place for a farm, such as a layout and structure that makes sense and good drainage and irrigation. In this light, he pointed to the pipes and pumps that are used to bring water to the crops in an efficient manner. He noted that it is important to continue to test the soil to see whether nutrients are up to required level.
For those looking to join in the venture, the tests results would be available. “We didn’t do it by guess, we went, we tested the soil, we took soil samples, we sent those samples overseas to be tested and we got a report”, he stated. NM is funding the development of the project. He emphasized that the government is also putting up resources, though more on the technical side through NARI. “Certainly we have made the contributions which has allowed the project to develop the way it has but I want to stress that could not have been done without the provision of technical services that have been rendered by the Ministry of Agriculture and also NARI”, he asserted. He noted that Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud has been very supportive of the project.
Guyana’s potential in agriculture is great because “we already know how to do agriculture and do it well”, the CEO said. He noted that sugar and rice are well entrenched. “Where we need to go is to that third stage or third leg which is the other-type crops and what kinds of potential exist for export. That’s where we are trying to move this project”, he stated. He declared that there are opportunities in this crop segment. “Neal and Massy would want to remain engaged in this process and we would like to see the process enlarged whereby other private sector companies join this effort and we certainly will remain part of that effort”, he asserting reiterating that the project is in its very early stages.
Why are they planting peppers on such a large scale? Anyone in Guyana can grow a pepper tree in a paint pot. They are saying this is a trial phase and they are looking at export potential.
We are producing perishables, Guyana’s trade routes consist of oceans of water. Guyana is an island for all intents and purposes of trade.
They went on to say that Guyanese know about agriculture and know how to plant. I agree. So why are we still at a trial phase? The average farmer who knows about agriculture and knows how to plant has been there done that and are all now living in Richmond Hill Queens.
The reason they gave up their livlihoods and moved abroad was because there was no markets for their produce except Bourda market.
This model and approach is entirely wrong and misleading to any potential investor. It needs to be innovative farming, packaging,transportation and marketing. Any phase without the other considerations will end up in a bust unless you intend to consume your produce all by yourself.
This is not rocket science my friends, this is simple farming economics for dummies. Ask any farmer in Richmond Hill.
Why did they have to send soil samples abroad for testing? Virgin farm soil is all about PH balance nothing else. Soil in the tropics is acid and needs to be conditioned more on the alkaline side for certain types of crops. All this can be done with a simple hand held PH tester that cost 38 bucks.Acid soil can be conditioned with the oil from the Neem tree nut.
The emphasis need to be on agriculture I agree, but not same old, same old traditional agriculture. They need to experiment with hybrid “english” potatoes from Brazil. Tumeric ok, I’ll go along with that. Vetiver grass saplings are selling on EBay for $2.10 US each. It is easy to grow, will solve the soil erosion problem and is a good export plant in terms of price per freight weight.
Large scale farming does not translate to wide scale employment, a few fatcats will profit. The few farmhands employed will continue to struggle with making ends meet and drinking alcohol.
Nothing of what they have demonstrated here so far is unfimiliar to the average farmer, except for their plastic pipe irrigation system. My barrel/ bamboo alternative irrigation system can be set up by any small farmer for a fraction of the cost. It will not win any first prices in ergonomic design but it will get the job done, and if a vandal decides to swipe the apparatus, they can afford to replace it the next day.
Joe.
Joe…bai like you ent see duh pepper sauce shipment to toronto…..eheheheheheheehe…we need pepper man..we need hot hot pepper to be shipped all over de world….who needs tomatos….pepper sauce is de going thing now…..
ten acre and $13M for a 5year trial period, get real people.
I know nothing about farming. But for the average unemployed Guyanese or farmer reading this, this is frustrating to say the least. There is nothing in this for them. This is definitely platinum club membership. The lives of the poor will remain the same.
Call this story a promo for Agri in Guyana.
Those overseas based Guyana who got lil extra money should rush down to Guyana and invest in planting wirry- wirry and bird pepper; forget cheap stocks and real estate; planting pepper is where the money is at!!!!
A good first step to food independence and let’s hope this time no forces of sabotage would rear its ugly head. During the P.N.C. era the vision was there but in a divided nation the only outcome is and was failure. Guyana has since lost at least 23 years and must not repeat the errors of the past. All parties must support self-sufficiency in food. Farmers must receive adequate returns for their labour and agriculture must no longer be seen as the domain of the uneducated and unskilled.
Greeting to you both; Joe and Borapork. The points made by both you are fully acceptable and realistic. Joe the point you made where you said, “It needs to be innovative farming, packaging, transportation and marketing”. I fully agree with this point one of the main observations i have made is that for example Guyana have vast amounts of coconut trees but you have never seen coconut milk or water in the can processed, packaged, marketed and shipped from Guyana.
Not only that my friend, but health practitioners and scientists are saying that coconut oil is the way to go.
What happened was that during world war 11 the USA was unable to get reliable supplies of coconut oil from the Pacific so they made oil from other sources and with their fancy ads and deliberate lies they made all these health claims about their hydrogenated carcinogenic oil products and discredited coconut oil as being a villain in cholesterol clogging of the arteries.
Take for instance Canola oil, it is cheap oil made for the lubrication of engine parts and comes from the rapeseed. Canola is the acronym for Canadian Oil Company but there again they are hyping Canola oil at the latest low fat cooking oil.There is no such thing as Canola oil.
Health practitioners are saying that coconut oil is the only oil that can be heated to very high cooking temperatures without changing into carcinogenic by products.
They are killing us with their fancy foods and expensive drugs. It is a hand in glove racket between the food and drug industries.
I have basically boiled down my eating habits to Dholl, rice and steamed calalloo. No meat or fish products of any kind. I have thrown out all my macho multivitamins and now take Moringa capsules.
I have dusted off my juicer and now live on a lively regimen of fresh fruit juices while includes corilla, garlic, ginger, aloes, carrots, strawberries, apples, etc.
Don’t get me wrong I love fatty meats. Remove the fat and skin from my pork and chicken and I will not eat it. I love a good medium rear steak, but recently I have been coming down with all these stiff joint pains and high blood pressure so I decided to take matters into my own hands and nurse myself back to health. When I feel better I will get back to eating sensibly.
I have full medical coverage but when I show up at the doctors office they stick their needles and fingers all over me then demand their payment and I leave limping and holding my butt. Enough already.
Here I have included an article of all the foods that we take for granted that are slowing poisoning us and how.
Joe.
http://www.rense.com/general86/ppos.htm
Spiro Agnew had it right when he coined the phrase “Nabobs of negativity”.
excellent business neal and massey congradulation
Thats right jagdeo and crew, private sector knows how to run businesses this is what we need to do open up Guyana to more foreign investors and get out of the business of running guysucko.
SN needs to find out from Banks DIH what happend to their grand diversification plan to start an agrilculture project in Anna Regina, Essequibo that would have included agri-processing, pakaging, storage and shipping. We need major agriculture-based projects, not kitchen gardens. Think big, people! Think big! The PPP is more interested in ideology and power than developing Guyana along pragmatic lines.
JOE, take it easy, although you make some good points,… you spoil them by the negativity,… .. in Agric. . demonstration plots are always, a welcome input… and don’t underate our farmers, we are long past the stage where your bamboo suggestion is, relevant… that is for HAITI AND congo etc and cambodia ..Myamar our guys are well aware and can access polythene tubing etc…. .. .the biggest headache and economic consideration would be informed selection of crops cum markets… why is every effort condemned outright by so many of you exiles… who seem to know very little of the dynamics of the country you’re speaking about…sorry if i sound rude.. don’t really mean to… keep writing..
I say joe keep it up, after years at watching this government squander every opportunity left right and center there is a valid reason for the negativity.