Dear Editor,
I was extremely delighted to attend and observe the agri conference and expo organized by the Ministry of Agriculture May 19 to 21. I salute the government for holding the event and all Guyana and our farmers who toil under difficulties to feed our nation as well as to export and generate foreign currency. The presence of the international delegates and foreign leaders as well as the public’s attendance are testimony of its success. I commend Minister Zulfikar Mustapha and his Ministry for recognizing the need for such a platform to educate, innovate and encourage the farmers of Guyana and the Caribbean region to participate in the conference and to motivate local and international investors and entrepreneurs for attending this conference and expo. Guyana is endowed with large tracts of fertile soil, a lot of sunshine and water and hardworking farmers all qualities needed to produce to feed a nation and export to be the bread basket of the region and to supply products to the diaspora. This platform to showcase Guyana’s agriculture to the world is a very good start.
The conference and expo attracted agri-entrepreneurs and investors within Guyana and around the region as well as the diaspora. This is the first such agri conference, not only in Guyana but in the Anglophone Caribbean. Thousands visited this event and undoubtedly gained knowledge from the exhibition and various presentations and workshops and the display of modern equipment as well as technology for use in agri production. Many shopped for varied items that were on display and or for sale. Many samples were given away. Healthy juice and snacks as well as other food items and drinks were sold and or given away. Booths had brochures about their products and or their company. The presentations and workshops on diverse areas of agriculture are most helpful to the farming sector. Among the best, if not the best presentation, was that of Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo. He captured the audience. He was short and to the point, enumerating the issues and proposed solutions to help small farmers. He committed to taking measures to helping small farmers to produce and market their products. I commend the VP for focusing on the small farmers who are really the backbone of the economy and who perform backbreaking work. They are not always appreciated. Jagdeo’s presentation will strengthen the confidence of the small farmers to produce.
I firmly believe that unless we create a value-chain involving and give support to the cultivator or producer all the way from harvester to consumer through reliable markets, the profitability of farming will not improve. Farmers will suffer losses or barely make ends. In the last several years, there has been an agrarian crisis with local farmers losing a lot of money. The previous government neglected agriculture. It was revived under the new PPP administration from August 2020 but the flood of April/May 2021 took the wind out of the sails of the government. Agriculture improvement is on track again because of the focus of the government to revive food production and global food shortages. The conference was timely and that we need to produce more. A platform like this will play a major role in transforming the current agricultural situation. Follow ups are needed for implementation of ideas. The President, VP, and Minister of Agriculture must ensure that scientific and financial ideas are carried to conclusion to boost production and export.
Sincerely,
Vishnu Bisram
