Dear Editor,
It is an established fact that the attainment of food security is pivotal to the economic and social development of any nation. Fortunately Guyana can proudly boost of being able to produce most of the vegetables, grains, meat and fish consumed by its populace.
We have also with increasing success being able to export these products to the Caribbean states and even wider afield. We are almost self-sufficient in food and slowly but surely moving to fulfil our destiny of being the ‘food-basket’ of the Caribbean.
This progress is however challenged by a now recognized worldwide phenomenon – the rapid aging of our farming population. If this trend continues unabated, all the investments made by the government in drainage, irrigation, training and land development will become exercises in futility. Because of this it is imperative that youths be a major part of any equation designed to address the problems of food security and sustainable development whether immediate or long-term.
It is therefore important that efforts be made to attract young people into agriculture, not just as agricultural professionals, but also as crop farmers, livestock farmers and the many other commercial activities that can be undertaken in the agricultural sector.
It seems as though the government has recognized the importance of youths’ involvement in agriculture since I see the Minister of Agriculture donating tools, seeds and other planting materials to secondary schools to ensure that there is adequate practical experience leading up to the examinations.
The move by the Ministry of Education to work with the Ministry of Agriculture to engage the schools in a gardening competition should be commended, and once its objectives are achieved the success of that programme will go a far way to ensure that Guyana remains food secure and ultimately become the breadbasket of the Caribbean.
Yours faithfully,
Rajpat Singh
