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Apr 13, 2021 Letters
Dear Editor,
Kaieteur News – In a definitive way, oil exploitation has taken over the economic landscape of Guyana; so say the experts in economic development. Their analysis is based on the fact that oil has the capacity to develop any country overnight – simply put; your GDP will grow exponentially in a short space of time. Nevertheless, we cannot hide from the reality that oil is an exhaustible resource and at some time down the road the wells will run dry. As an extractive industry there is always the possibility of this resource becoming exhausted, a prime example being our sister Caricom nation of Trinidad where oil is no longer a major industry, but has been taken over by natural gas. It is imperative that we take an in-depth look at some of the more permanent resources that this country is blessed with. In this regard Guyana must place much more emphasis on agriculture, that is, to fortify that which already exists and diversify into other areas in the agro-business field.
It is an established fact that to be successful in agriculture you must have the two main resources available, I am talking about the two most important aspects of agricultural development, the availability of arable land and a healthy supply of rainfall – these are two natural resources that Guyana is blessed with and if utilised wisely will bring about untold wealth and development to our country. We can now move on to greater things such as to maximise production.
In the established crop areas of sugar and rice, these have served us well over the years with copious supply for the local market, as well as for export. In respect to sugar, rum and molasses, we have a few things goings for us at present.
We can expand and improve on our traditional crops such as plantains, eddoes and dasheen, oranges – sweet and sour oranges. I would add cherries to the last named crop, as this creates a natural boost to the natural juices production. Lemons, limes, soursop and golden apple (dwarf variety) which is an all-year-round producer, will also add a spike to the organic juices list.
Pumpkins, corn, bora and string beans are aimed for expansion. Soya bean and sorghum are areas we can explore and possibly expand on. Sorghum, which is a newcomer to this list, has the potential of doing well in Guyana.
Mangoes and pineapple production still hold a niche in the agro market, as well as avocado pears. There are so many by-products that can be had from the humble avocado pear. Ginger, hot peppers and turmeric still carry the day as we seek out areas for rapid expansion.
Other traditional plants grown here but not on a commercial scale are aloes and tulsi. The last named crop is an excellent painkiller, which in my estimation holds far superior health benefits than any of the dispensed painkillers of the day. These crops can be processed and packaged for the export market. Another crop with very valuable ethno-medicinal qualities is moringa. This crop which comes from the Tamil word murungai has been used for many centuries in the subcontinent for its medicinal and health benefits, among these are antifungal, antiviral, antidepressant and anti-inflammatory qualities. My list is by no means exhaustive and there are many other crop areas we can successfully tap into.
Yours truly,
Neil Adams
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