Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud said that although 2007 was a year of challenges, many of the plans that had been outlined for the sector in the National Budget and the National Competi-tiveness Strategy have been achieved.
Speaking at his end-of-year press conference yesterday, Persaud said the ministry had succeeded in making many of the farmers’ operations more businesslike and profitable.
He cited the launching of the arapaima/fisheries management plan, the recertification to export fish to the United States, the handing over of boats and engines as part of the anti-piracy programmes, and construction of an aquaculture hatchery at Mon Repos as among the laudable achievements of the fisheries sector.
Persaud said there would be a restructuring of the fisheries sector with the creation of a semi-autonomous agency to manage it. He noted that the fisheries advisory committee has been reactivated.
Piracy is still a bugbear in the sector and the ministry has taken a number of steps to combat this. He said that one of these steps is working with various fishermen’s co-op societies.
The ministry is also working in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Guyana Defence Force in crafting strategies aimed at combating piracy.
The minister said there was a 37 per cent increase in the volume of non-traditional produce exported for January to November 2007 when compared with the corresponding period in 2006. Last year’s exports amounted to 6,574 tonnes with a value of $1.43 billion.
Among the achievements in the non-traditional crops sector were the construction of an $89 million pack house at Parika, the identification of butternut squash for export, and the improvement of production and productivity of bull nose scotch bonnet peppers through agronomic practices.
Turning to livestock, the minister said the ministry is working to import new stocks of breeding cattle from the United States.
He said a number of the breeding stock of swine are expected to furrow (give birth) during the first quarter of 2008.
Strides have also been made in the area of agricultural diversification, he said, pointing to the approval of the US$6 million Rural Enterprise and Agricultural Development (READ) project by the Board of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) on December 13, 2007. Also, the Inter-American Development Bank approved a loan of US$20.9 million to support Guyana’s Agricultural Export Diversi-fication Programme, which aims to contribute to the increasing of Guyana’s exports of non-traditional agricultural crops.
The New Guyana Marketing Corporation’s information centre has serviced over 300 clients since its establishment in March 2007.
The National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) is working to ensure successful technology transfer to farmers, implementing a project in which farmers were trained in the use of drip irrigation to promote year round production of fruits and vegetables.
The minister said that in excess of 500 farmers have so far been trained in crop and livestock production.
For the period Jan-Nov 2007, 1,037 tonnes of produce was processed at the Central Packaging Facility compared to 770 tonnes for the corresponding period last year, a 35% increase.
To ensure farmers’ safety and the integrity of the agriculture industry, the Pesticides and Toxic Chemi-cals Control (Amendment) Bill 2007 was passed. “This will ensure international information is available to all farmers on the safe use and handling of pesticides,” the minister said.
Persaud said that because of reported cases of Foot and Mouth Disease in England, a 24-hour surveillance system has been implemented at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri and other ports of entry.
The ministry also conducted an exercise in the area of Avian Influenza in collaboration with the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), Ministry of Health. The Carambola and Mediter-ranean Fruit Flies Programme was also stepped up.
In drainage and irrigation, the highlights include the launching of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority on January 1, 2007, improved communication and response systems and procurement of more than 40 excavators deployed to Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six and Ten. The minister said four additional long-reach excavators are being procured at a cost of $140 million.
In addition, 60 mobile pumps were installed across the country and over 900 miles of canals and drains in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six and Ten maintained.
The minister pointed out that some $2.2 billion is expended annually on drainage and irrigation.
