Latest update May 13th, 2024 12:59 AM
Oct 09, 2017 Letters
Dear Editor,
The following is a letter sent to the Minister of Agriculture. Dear Minister, as said when we met for less than ten minutes at the scheduled meeting at your office Wednesday, Feb 15th 2017, and your secretary came into the room and said you had a nine o’clock meeting with the President. I suggested that I should give some thought on what has to be done for the development of our agriculture and rural development, and send the ideas to you, thus I departed convinced that my letter may set the agenda for a follow-up meeting..
I also need to place on record that I desire to be of assistance to your good self in the promotion of programmes and policies needed for the furtherance of those ideals.
The future development of Guyana hinges on the greater utilisation of all its productive resources, and since a significant section of its population – one of its prime resources – reside in the rural areas, providing food and other materials for the nation, there is abundant need to ensure that our resources are put to maximum use, and the prime resource be respected and loved.
As Guyana grapples with the diversification from sugar, and also the low expectation from rice, the opportunity presents itself for both the absorption of displaced workers as well as the inclusion of the un-employed, under employed, whether youth or those who wish to become farmers; into either new or expansion of existing entrepreneurial activities. Engagement in agriculture has to be seen as private enterprise development, especially as there should develop alongside large farming units, small farm operations, making agriculture the basic industry.
At present, there is a need to be cognizant of issues and problems our current farmers encounter on a day to day basis. I am not sure that the Regional authorities are willing to resolve them based on the talk circulating in the farming areas. There exists evidence of leaders the NDC Councils are not willing to engage in de-weeding and excavation of drainage facilities, and other vital works in their jurisdictions. We need to wean the farming community away from those who never displayed affection to them except to relying on their ethnic propensities, and the vote.
The Ministry of Communities has not yet gotten its act together, and one wonders how soon that would be. It then means that the Ministry of Agriculture has to make out-reach possibilities to the agricultural communities, through direct action of meetings with small groups of farmers, country-wide, with the view to arriving at solutions to problems farmers face now, and issues and matters which have been affecting them in the past decades.
Guyana with its abundance of land and fresh water resources, we still have instances of rice farmers petitioning the Rice Assessment Committees for support to remain in cultivation of three and four acres lands. The Constitution guarantees Land to the Tiller. I interpret this Constitutional Amendment to mean that those who till the land should exercise suzerainty.
Farmers in food crop zones such as Kent Dam Settlement, give their sons portions of their 5 – 7 acres plots for the lads to make their own living, when there is nearby lands. These “nearby lands” would then need Drainage & Irrigation and other infrastructural works for safe cultivation. Such lands exist in all the agricultural areas country-wide. There are many locations across Guyana where such situations abound. Significantly the following matters are urgent:
1. How do we enlist young people to agricultural employment, especially when their parents are not farmers?
2. Give lands to young people who have reached the age of marriage and require to venture out on their own agri-business.
3. New farmers, who would be displaced sugar workers and other adult former workers, such as security guards who may wish to pursue an agricultural career.
4. Training facilities for both young and new farmers.
5. Fair weather roads for ingress and egress in farming areas.
6. Effective and timely drainage and irrigation services.
7. A more out-reach extension service as was evident in the past.
8. National Agricultural Research & Extension Institute to be more pro-active with farmers. To become a 21st century Research & Development entity, attracting local skills and volunteers from other developing countries in Asia, Africa and our South American neighbours.
9. The establishment of state operated demonstration farms in different soil types across the country.
10 demo farms operating in concert with skilled farmers, which would still be opened to other farmers.
11. Education on post harvest handling of produce.
12. Transportation of produce to markets in proper crating facilities.
13. Prices of produce paid by middle men.
14. A general review on prices of cost of production of produce vs prices paid.
15. The role of Guyana Marketing Corporation in the distribution of local foodstuff country wide
16. The operation of ‘fair price’ shops run by GMC or franchised to private operators by GMC
17. The need for a WHOLESALE FARMERS’ MARKET in Georgetown, where all produce brought to the City will be available for sale to vendors, hotels, restaurants etc
18. Farmers’ Markets where the prices would be little higher than wholesale, but lower than the middle man.
19. The encouragement of agro-processing centres, set up in key areas where lots of fruit and certain kind of vegetables abound. A few such centres were out-fitted with Govt of Guyana grants last year. They need to be organised to meet the needs of the entire community. The previous government had expended huge sums of money on such facilities, we need to locate them and bring them to the attention of the communities in which they were placed.
20. There need to be a review of the $82M Packing House at Parika.
21. The 5 or 6 Marketing Centres set up since 1980s in various parts of the country. What is their status and so on?
22. The Min of Agriculture should have something to say about the way farmers are treated presently by the City Administration in the wholesale and retail trade of produce in G/town.
23. The prospects of a few of the above, becoming possible right away will most certainly encourage farmers.
24. All other matters not mentioned here, may have eluded my attention.
Minister, I trust I have raised matters that can satisfy an inclination to seek what I know you believe, like the President who said, “We cannot be a happy people or enjoy a good life in the midst of discord, distrust, disharmony and social conflict”
Hafiz Rahman
Listen how to run an oil country
May 13, 2024
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