Contents Introduction - Caribbean Week of Agriculture Messages:
4
36
Guyana Looks to Food Self-Suffiency
6-14
38
Zero Hunger Challenge in the Caribbean
President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana -
40-41
Ministers of Agriculture -
Guyana's Rice Industry
Secretary General, CARICOM -
42
Director General, IICA -
Healthy People Depend on Healthy Food Systems
Sub Regional Coordinator, FAO Enhancing the Participation of Marginalized Rural
Executive Director, CARDI Director, CTA CWA Through the Years
16
Communities in Saint Lucia
45
Coconut - Revitalising the Industry Save and Grow Method can Create Caribbean
Participating Countries
18
47
Cassava Bounty
CWA at a Glance
20-21
49
Agro-Processing in Guyana
Meeting Locator
23
50
Pepper - A Priority Commodity
Agriculture - A Decade from Today
24-25
52
A Perspective from Dominica
Food Security - A Must for the Region
27-28
& Members of the Alliance
The Jagdeo Initiative Economic Empowerment of Women Guyana Agriculture Diversification Programme
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54
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56
Small Ruminant Sector in Guyana
58
Aquaculture
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Caribbean Week of Agriculture
The Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA) is the premier event on the agriculture calendar in the Caribbean Region placing agriculture and rural life on the “front burner” of the regional integration activities. In July 1999, the Inter-American Institute for the Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) facilitated a CARICOM Ministers Agriculture Forum to discuss emerging issues for agriculture development in the region. This was the beginning of the Alliance for the Sustainable Development of agriculture and the Rural Milieu the Alliance). The CWA concept was introduced by IICA as a major annual event of the Alliance Meetings. CWA provided a dedicated platform for key public and private sector decision-makers to focus on agriculture and rural life and for stakeholders to network and to showcase their results and products. In 2002, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Caribbean Agriculture Research and Development Institute (CARDI) joined IICA and CARICOM to establish a core group which functions as the Secretariat of the Alliance. Since then the four agencies have collaborated on the management and logistics necessary for the convening and servicing of meetings of the Alliance as well as the myriad activities during CWA. From 2003, the ACP-EU Technical Centre for Agriculture and Rural Cooperation (CTA) became a major partner and sponsor of the CWA activities. The 12th Caribbean Week of Agriculture is being held under the theme “Linking the Caribbean for Regional Food and Nutrition Security and Rural Development” in Georgetown, Guyana, during the period of October 4 -12, 2013.
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Message from His Excellency Donald Ramotar President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana
On behalf of the Government and People of Guyana, I extend a special welcome to all the delegates and participants to this year’s Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA) being held under the theme “Linking the Caribbean for Regional Food and Nutrition Security and Rural Development”. I am especially heartened that food and nutrition security is being given prominence at this forum. Agriculture and agriculture- related issues continue to dominate the international trade agenda as feeding the world is one of the most important challenges confronting us today, which governments, policymakers, international development partners and citizens as a whole must work to address. It is crucial at this time that food security is kept on the front burner, considering the fact that the region’s food import bill is rapidly increasing. This is indeed an opportune time to showcase what we are doing in Guyana and the Caribbean and how we are using agriculture as a vehicle to attain a food-secured status and to address other needs. In this regard, I want to re-emphasize the importance of the Jagdeo Initiative which should be given more prominence if we are to advance agricultural development in the region. I trust that this forum will further catapult agriculture to the forefront, raise the community’s awareness of the importance of the sector to national and regional development, and create opportunities for greater collaboration and interaction among CARICOM member states and with their extra- regional partners. The topics to be deliberated at the workshops such as information and communication technologies (ICTs), monitoring and managing pest populations under a changing climate, the development of the coconut industry in the Caribbean, livestock, the implementation and mainstreaming of regional fisheries policies, and agricultural health and food safety are relevant to our needs.
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It is also noteworthy that this CWA is focusing on agriculture as a business where attention is being placed on costs of production as this is an area that is often overlooked. As it currently stands, most farmers do not keep proper documentation and they are not au fait as to what is really happening in terms of their investments and their level of returns. There is the need to provide the necessary assistance to farmers as it relates to proper record keeping so that they will know whether they are making a profit or a loss, so that in cases of a loss, corrective steps could be taken. I urge regional governments to go beyond the usual rhetoric and take the appropriate action that will see high levels of investments in the agriculture sector, aimed at modernising, transforming and making it more competitive. Guyana has shown that agriculture is serious business, it is time for others to follow suit. Guyana is open for investment in agribusiness. The Santa Fe Farm in the Rupununi is a classic example of the investments in agriculture we have been promoting in partnership wityh Caribbean investors. I would like to thank our regional and international partners The Inter- American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the Caribbean Community (Caricom), the Caribbean Agricultural Research Development Institute (CARDI) and the African, Caribbean and PacificEuropean Union (ACP- EU) Technical Centre for Cooperation on Agriculture and Rural Development (CTA) for participating in this year’s CWA. Special thanks to the Ministers of Agriculture of Guyana and the staff of the Ministry of Agriculture for their dedicated efforts in ensuring the success of this year’s CWA. Have an enjoyable and rewarding stay in Guyana. H.E. President Donald Ramotar, President, Republic of Guyana.
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Message from the Ministers of Agriculture Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, Minister of Agriculture Mr. Ally Baksh, Minister within the Ministry of Agriculture
Dr. Leslie Ramsammy
Mr. Ally Baksh
We the Ministers of Agriculture are honored and privileged to welcome our colleagues and friends from around the Caribbean and from other parts of the world to the 12th Caribbean Week of Agriculture. We are pleased that this 12th CWA has evoked as much interest and that so many of our friends have come to this event and so many others are looking on with keen interest. Agriculture is a pillar to forge a path of sustainable development for the Caribbean. Not only is agriculture of fundamental significance to ensure food and nutrition security, but it represents a viable pillar on which to promote economic development for our countries and provide a means for our citizens to generate wealth. Our countries import too much food, more than $US4B worth, from outside of our Region. Much of the products we import for food into the CARICOM Region are already produced by countries of the Region or can be produced right here. Often times, we can produce better quality food than we import. We must utilize CWA-12 to showcase this fact. Money spent on importing food into our Region can be invested into creating wealth in our countries. The Caribbean can be one of the first sub-regions in the world to end hunger and to be a fully food and nutrition-secured sub-region. Agriculture provides us with an opportunity to become food and nutritionsecured, while generating wealth for our people and ensuring a sustainable development trajectory. Our Ministries of Agriculture and our agriculture professionals must work together to ensure this promise is not merely a potential, but an opportunity we transform into prosperity. In this regard, the CARICOM Secretariat must play a critical coordinating role. At the same time, organizations like CARDI and CAHFSA and FAO and IICA must ensure they can facilitate the work of national authorities as we modernize agriculture into a professional, science-based and evidence-driven economic and social platform. The University of Guyana, the Guyana School of Agriculture, the University of the West Indies and other universities in the Region must step up to the plate to ensure a human resource capital that can propel agriculture.
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Already, we see mechanization as imperative for the transformation of agriculture in CARICOM. At the same time, we must adapt and adopt technologies in pursuit of precision farming. Value-added must be pursued with vigor. The opportunity to establish agro-processing industry is not only beckoning, it is a guarantee for generating wealth. As we welcome you to this 12th CWA, we must caution that it is being held at a time when agriculture faces major and potentially overwhelming obstacles. CARICOM must invest more in agriculture. Our investment in agriculture still lags behind global averages for agricultural investment. Outside of Guyana and a couple of other countries, agricultural investment is among the lowest in the world. This is unfortunate given the value of agriculture to ensuring sustainable development for CARICOM countries. Climate change is threatening to destroy our agriculture potential. But there are opportunities to buffer our countries from the damaging effect of climate change. At CWA-12, we will engage in furthering our disaster risk management programs and considering more ways to work together as countries and partners to engage the wider world in actions that will preserve our agriculture industries. CWA-12 will critically examine the importance of infrastructure and markets, ICT and information systems, SPS and trade. These are important key binding constraints, as identified in the Jagdeo Initiative. CWA-12 will highlight the need to further develop our hydro-meteorology services and establish the need for more infra-structure development. One major issue that will occupy our time is the consideration of water management as a key binding constraint. Recently at the IABA, in Argentina, the Ministers of Agriculture agreed to a Declaration establishing water as a vital security issue as we pursue the end of hunger in the Americas. Caribbean Ministers of Agriculture must address this matter with greater urgency. We have countries at the top of the list as countries with the best water resources in the world, such as Guyana and Suriname. But we also have many countries at the top of the list of countries that are already water-stressed. We are hoping that Caribbean Ministers of Agriculture will take this issue as a security issue that deserves a High-Level Meeting at the UN General Assembly. The CARICOM Region has the potential to be self-sufficient for poultry and other meats. But the stock feed industry is not able to provide our farmers with affordable stock feed. This is mainly because much of the inputs must be imported. Two major inputs are corn and soya. Between Guyana, Belize and Suriname, the CARICOM needs can be met. More affordable stock feed for the livestock industry will see meat being produced at a more affordable cost and we will be able to meet our dairy demands. We will like to encourage our professionals to ensure too that we develop a small ruminant industry that meet all our needs in the Caribbean. Finally, we would like to add that agriculture can also help solve other problems. Briefly, agriculture could help to ease the high cost of fossil fuel. Indeed, agriculture can also help solve the growing problems with chronic non-communicable diseases. CWA-12 is indeed a momentous event and we certainly look forward to engaging our colleagues and citizens in establishing this event as a premier annual event for CARICOM. Let us participate together to create a new tradition for CWA. Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, Minister of Agriculture Mr. Ally Baksh, Minister within the Ministry of Agriculture
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Message
- Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
Ambassador Irwin LaRocque
It is my distinct pleasure to welcome participants to the Twelfth Caribbean Week of Agriculture in Georgetown, Guyana. Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA) has rightly become the Region’s premier agricultural event and has been held annually, almost without a break, since 1999. The CWA brings together a wide range of stakeholders in Caribbean agriculture and serves as a valuable vehicle for the exchange of ideas and the forging of joint plans and other collaborative activities, aimed at moving the sector forward, and fulfilling its potential as a dynamic contributor to the Region’s economies. As we convene the Twelfth CWA, the Community is cognizant of the absolute necessity for a revitalised agriculture sector powered by our youth who bring innovative ideas and technology to the fore; a sector that can propel the growth of our economies; one that increasingly produces more of what we consume and vice versa, thus reducing our onerous food import bill and, at the same time, promoting healthy living. That revitalisation would also ensure that we effectively market our wide and varied produce to fulfil our export goals. To propel the agriculture sector forward, the Caribbean Community has, in recent years, adopted a number of forwardlooking policies for agriculture, embracing all the dimensions that must be addressed in order to achieve this revitalisation. The time is now to focus on implementation and, together with our regional and international partners, achieve the long-held objective enunciated in the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, of a marketoriented, internationally competitive and environmentally sound agricultural sector, which simultaneously contributes to improved incomes, employment, food and nutrition security and poverty alleviation within the Community. The theme for this year’s CWA - Linking the Caribbean for Regional Food and Nutrition Security and Rural Development - fits perfectly with this objective. The CARICOM Secretariat is therefore very pleased to be one of the partners in the Alliance for Sustainable Development of Agriculture and the Rural Milieu, which has been at the forefront in organizing this major annual event. Our special thanks go out to the Government of Guyana, which has willingly taken on the task of hosting CWA 2013 with great enthusiasm and dedication.
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Message - Director General, IICA
Dr. Victor Vallalobos IICA is once more pleased and honoured to celebrate the agricultural and rural sectors in the Caribbean during this 12th Caribbean Week of Agriculture in Guyana. The theme for this year´s CWA gives recognition to the importance of regional cooperation and integration initiatives as fundamental pillars of the approach to achieve food and nutrition security and sustained rural development. The CWA provides a unique opportunity for the institutional partners and key stakeholders in agriculture to meet as a region and advance the development agenda for the sector. We at IICA are therefore looking forward to the discussions which will take place this week in the many workshops and meetings, and to the plans which we will take forward and implement over the coming months in the Member States, in collaboration with CARICOM, FAO, CARDI, CTA and donor partners. The focus on the rural sector is critical, and IICA is pleased this year to co-host a Women´s Forum which will further consolidate our work with CANROP by linking rural women entrepreneurs in the sector into regional and international alliances, which foster the expansion and consolidation of their networks and access to niche markets. The regional network for Youth in Agriculture, CAFY, will also be further strengthened through support for their participation in agriculture value chains in collaboration with CARDI, CTA and CAFAN. In terms of food and nutrition security, the IICA Office in Canada joins CWA this year to present a workshop and demonstration sessions on adding value in the small ruminant livestock sector, a critical source of protein for the Caribbean Region. IICA also recognizes that productive solutions for rural economies are not limited to agricultural activities, and in this context, we will be co-hosting a workshop on Agrotourism that will link rural development in the Caribbean with Tourism through trade, promotion of indigenous cuisine and investments in the rural tourism. The workshop will also be promoting South-South cooperation with the Pacific Region.
To this end, I am pleased to announce that with support from the Government of Mexico, IICA will be rolling out a programme of short-term training targeting specific areas of need identified in each of the member states in the Caribbean Region. During the coming days, we will be providing more details on this exciting training programme.
Success in achieving food and nutrition security and sustainable rural development in the Caribbean requires continuous training and strengthening of national capacities at both public and private sector levels.
In closing, I wish to commend the Ministry of Agriculture and the Government of Guyana for their vision and commitment to making this CWA “bigger and better”, and to extend to all, our best wishes for a productive and successful CWA 2013.
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Message - Sub Regional Coordinator, FAO
Dr. John R. D. (Deep) Ford Guyana and St. Vincent and the Grenadines have made significant strides by achieving Millennium Development Goal 1 of reducing poverty and hunger as well as the goal set by the World Food Summit in 1996. This outstanding achievement was recognized by the FAO at its 38th Conference in June this year and is testimony to the commitment of their Governments to eradicating hunger and food insecurity. Notwithstanding these significant gains, there is still a considerable amount of work to be done in our quest to eradicate hunger and promote food and nutrition security in the region. The Caribbean food and agriculture sector still faces many challenges – the loss of markets for its main agricultural products, the burgeoning food import bill, rising food prices and price volatility, increasing pressure for prime agricultural land, the threats of climate change and transboundary pests and diseases, high incidence of chronic non communicable diseases, especially among young people; reduced interest and involvement of youth in agriculture, to name a few. We, at FAO have seen tangible results from our work in the region. We have assisted countries to develop the regional Food and Nutrition Security Policy and Action plan and we are assisting Caribbean countries to develop their respective national policies and action plans. Through work in the context of the Zero Hunger Challenge the livelihoods and the levels of nutrition of families are being substantially improved. We have also assisted countries to develop a management programme for Black Sigatoka disease and an Action Plan for its implementation. We have strengthened the capacities of Caribbean farmers in Sustainable Crop Intensification and Climate Smart Agriculture and raised their awareness of good governance of tenure of land, fisheries and forests.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is pleased to collaborate with our partners of the CWA Secretariat - CARDI, CARICOM, CTA and IICA in hosting this year’s Caribbean Week of Agriculture 2013. It is propitious that this year’s CWA is being held in Guyana under the theme “Linking the Caribbean for Regional Food and Nutrition Security and Rural Development”. Guyana, with its rich endowment of key natural resources for agricultural development – land, fertile soil, water, forests and fisheries, has the potential to play a pivotal role in promoting regional food and nutrition security.
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Our new Strategic Framework clearly outlines our commitment to eradicate hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition, to make agriculture more productive and sustainable, to reduce rural poverty, to ensure inclusive and efficient agriculture and food systems and to protect livelihoods from disaster. However, in the words of our newly elected Director General, Dr. Jose Graziano Da Silva, “ending hunger cannot be done by any individual organization alone”. We must work together in partnership with the governments, private sector, civil society, NGOs, farmers cooperatives, academic institutions and other stakeholders to achieve this goal of food and nutrition security and rural development in the Caribbean. We wish to thank the Government of Guyana for agreeing to host this year’s CWA and we recognize and salute your tireless efforts in organizing this event. We join our partners in wishing everyone a successful CWA 2013.
Message - Executive Director, CARDI
Dr. H. Arlington D. Chesney It is with great pleasure and nostalgia for me to write this message on the occasion of the 12th Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA) that is being held in Guyana. This nostalgia, is based on the fact that, in 2000, when some of us initiated the discussion on the concept of CWA it took into consideration the successful implementation of the Agriculture Month in Guyana that was started when I was Chief Agricultural Officer, Ministry of Agriculture of Guyana. We need to give thanks for the support given to the idea of CWA by Winston Rudder (then Regional Director of FAO), Hayden Blades (then Executive Director of CARDI) and Byron Blake (then Assistant Secretary General, Regional Trade and Economic Integration – CARICOM Secretariat). Also for the institutional support provided by Carlos Aquino (then Director General – IICA) and Honourable Roger Clarke (Minister of Agriculture of Jamaica). Since that time in 2000, when we had to literally beg for participation, CWA has emerged as the leading platform for the discussion by the Caribbean Agricultural Community of issues affecting the Region’s agricultural and rural sector. It also provides for the unveiling of new and innovative developments that are critical for the future development of these sectors. The networking by key stakeholders from within and outside of the Region is unmatched by any other forum. This year’s CWA is being hosted under the theme “Linking the Caribbean for Regional Food and Nutrition Security and Rural Development”. The event emphasises a very critical issue, one that CARDI strongly believes in, as demonstrated by one of its Pillars – Working Together – the reality is that no single Institution and/ or country in the Region can respond effectively to the significant challenges of food and nutrition insecurity and the consequential need to significantly reduce poverty and hunger. For us to meet the Regional and International targets, for example the Millennium Development Goals, we must work together. CWA continues to provide this unique platform that fosters collaboration between nations, partnerships with international organizations, public/ private partnerships and collaboration with civil society and agrientrepreneurs including farmers. CARDI is once again immensely privileged to be associated with the organisation and execution of this year’s event. In 2013, the Institute is partnering with several regional and international agencies to host the following workshops: Inclusive evidence based coverage of Agriculture Research and Development issues in the Caribbean; Monitoring and managing pest populations under Climate Change; Strengthening Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and Agricultural Value Chains; and Development of a viable Coconut Industry in the Caribbean.
CARDI will partner with the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) for three activities: a book on Climate Change Adaptation in the Caribbean; we will also launch Part 2 of the Caribbean Science and Agriculture Film and Video Competition. The third activity of the CARDI/CTA partnership will be the hosting of an awards function for the winners of the Third Annual Regional Media Awards competition. On behalf of CARDI’s Governors and Directors, management and staff, I wish the Government and people of Guyana and indeed the entire region a very successful and meaningful CWA 2013.
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Message - Director, CTA
Mr. Michael Hailu Food and nutrition security--the theme of the 2013 CWA--is of significant importance to CTA’s work. Achieving food and nutritional security requires an integrated approach that brings together policies, technologies and institutions and a multitude of stakeholders. The negative impact of nutrition related chronic diseases on child development, workforce productivity and overall wellbeing of the Caribbean population as well as on the economy cannot be overstated. It’s worrisome that the level of obesity in some Caribbean countries is among the highest in the world. Whilst food utilization is the main concern as regards nutrition security in the Caribbean, innovative policy measures are also required to boost the production of nutritious food and reduce the region’s huge food-import bill. Related to this, policies and practices are needed to address critical issues such as adaptation to climate change, value chain development, use of ICTs and youth and women’s entrepreneurship. In these and other areas CTA, has contributed to facilitating multi-stakeholder policy dialogues at CWA through the workshops it has co-organized with partner institutions. CTA has promoted information sharing and cross-learning among different stakeholders, expert groups and regions, including with participants from Africa, Pacific and Europe. For instance, at the 2013 CWA, CTA is providing support for the participation of a ministerial delegation from the Pacific countries of Samoa, Vanuatu and Tonga CTA has also contributed to the growing success of the CWA over the last 10 years. The number of events has now reached more than forty bringing together a wide range of institutions and stakeholders. The quality of the technical sessions and policy discussions has increased markedly, as has the level of local and regional media interest in CWA in providing good coverage of the event. CTA is pleased to have been invited to join the Steering Committee of CWA 2013, which has allowed us to contribute to the planning of the event. We wish to express our strong commitment to the success of CWA as a premier event that brings together key stakeholders in agricultural development across the Caribbean. I wish you a successful and productive Caribbean Week of Agriculture 2013.
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CWA Through The Years
CARIBBEAN WEEK OF AGRICULTURE: THROUGH THE YEARS
1st
Trinidad and Tobago – 1999 Theme: High Value Exotic Foods
2nd
Jamaica – 2000 Theme: The Caribbean Agriculture Policy, Challenges for Regional Food Security; Caribbean Renewable Energy and BioEnergy Action Programme; Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture in the Caribbean
3rd
Dominican Republic – 2001
Theme: Trade and Investment Opportunities for Agri-Food Enterprises
4th
Guyana – 2003
Theme: Facilitating Economic Development through the Promotion of Competitive Agriculture in the Caribbean
5th
St Kitts and Nevis - 2005 Theme: Exploring and Enhancing Opportunities for a New Agriculture
6th
The Bahamas - 2006 Theme: Promoting Sustainable Development of Agricultural and Marine Resources
7th
Jamaica - 2007
Theme: Agriculture – Harvesting Wealth Through Tourism
8th
St Vincent and the Grenadines - 2008
Theme: Innovative Agriculture and Industries - Fueling Sustainable Development
9th
Grenada - 2010
Theme: Sustainable Agriculture Development to Achieve Food and Nutrition Security
10th
Dominica - 2011
Theme: Caribbean Food and Nutrition Security in a Changing Climate – The Nature Island Experience
11th
Antigua and Barbuda – 2012
Theme: Celebrating Youth and Gender in Caribbean Agriculture – Each Endeavouring, All Achieving
12th
Guyana – 2013
Theme: Linking the Caribbean for Regional Food Security and Rural Development
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2013
2013 CWA Magazine
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Belize
The Bahamas
Dominica
Guyana
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Haiti
Jamaica
Montserrat
St. Kitts / Nevis
Saint Lucia
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Suriname
Trinidad & Tobago
CONSTITUENT MEMBERS OF THE ALLIANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL MILIEU 1. Forum of Ministers 2. Caribbean Agriculture Forum for Youth (CAFY) 3. Caribbean Network of Rural Women Producers (CANROP) CONSTITUENT MEMBERS OF THE ALLIANCR FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 4. Caribbean Agri-business Association (CABA)
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SATURDAY 5-Oct
SUNDAY 6-Oct
MONDAY 7-Oct
9:00 - 17:00 hrs: CARDI/ CTA/ ACM (Room 4) Workshop on Evidence Based Coverage of ARD Issues in the Caribbean
9:00 - 17:00 hrs: CARDI/ CTA/ ACM (Room 4) Workshop on Evidence Based Coverage of ARD Issues in the Caribbean
9:00 - 10:30 hrs: (Main Conference Hall) Inter-Faith Church Service
9:00 - 17:00 hrs: FAO (Room 1 & 2) Workshop on Hunger, Food Insecurity and Malnutrition in the Caribbean: Strategy for Eradication
Exhibi�on and Trade Show
9:00 - 17:00 hrs: IICA/ FAO (Room 1 & 2) Seminar: Imperative for the Small Ruminant Industry in the Caribbean
10:00 - 17:00 hrs: CARDI/ 5Cs/ CIMH/ CTA/ Wageningen Uni. and Research Centre/ University of Florence (Room 1 & 2) Workshop on Monitoring and Managing Pest Populations under a Changing Climate 10:00 - 17:00 hrs: CARDI/ CTA (Room 4) Workshop on Strengthening ICTs in Value Chains
Workshop & Mee�n�s
Week at a Glance
FRIDAY 4-Oct
13:00 - 17:00 hrs: IICA/ FAO (Room 5) Seminar: Imperative for the Small Ruminant Industry in the Caribbean
9:00 - 17:00 hrs: CTA/ CARDI/ UWI (Room 3) Workshop on the Development of the Coconut Industry in the Caribbean 9:00 - 17:00 hrs: CARDI/ CTA (Room 4) Workshop on Strengthening ICTs in Value Chains 9:00 - 17:00 hrs: CRFM/ CTA/ CNFO (Grand Coastal) Workshop on Implementation and Mainstreaming of Regional Fisheries Policies into Small-scale Fisheries Governance in the Caribbean 9:00 - 17:00 hrs: CARDI/ 5Cs/ CIMH/ CTA/ Wageningen Uni. and Research Centre/ University of Florence (Dining Room) Workshop on Monitoring and Managing Pest Populations under a Changing Climate (Main Conference Hall) 9:00 - 14:00 hrs: CAFAN Farmers Forum 14:00 - 16:00 hrs: CAFAN Annual General Meeting
16:30 - 18:30 hrs: IICA (Main Conference Hall) Intra – ACP Policy Programme & SPS Regional Project
Presenta�on
Event
18:00 - 20:00 hrs CARDI/ CTA (Main Conference Hall) Joint Technical Opening for Workshops (Launch of book on Climate Change Adaptation in the Caribbean)
Field Visits & Tours LUNCH
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Hydromet - Doppler Radar Tower Guyana Local Tours
17:30 - 19:00 hrs: SusGren/ CRFM/ CTA/ CNFO (Room 4) Launch of Video on Local Voices in Climate Change Adaptation: Marine Resources and Fisheries.
GUYSUCO - Enmore Estate NDIA - Hope Canal GLDA Farm
TUESDAY 8-Oct
WEDNESDAY 9-Oct
THURSDAY 10-Oct
16:00 hrs: CWA 2013 Closing Press Conference
8:30 - 9:00 hrs: Media Briefing
Exhibi�on and Trade Show
9:00 - 16:00 hrs: CAFY (Room 1) Annual General Meeting 9:00 - 17:00 hrs: FAO (Room 2) Multidisciplinary Team Meeting
Workshop & Mee�n�s
9:00 - 20:00 hrs: Exhibition & Trade Show
9:00 - 20:00 hrs: Exhibition & Trade Show
9:00 - 16:00 hrs: (Main Confrence Hall) Meeting of the Alliance
CARICOM Conference Room 8:30 - 10:00 hrs: FAO Priorities & Pre-Conference Ministerial Meeting
9:00 - 17:00 hrs: (Room 1, 2 & 3) Meeting of COTED Ministerial
10:30 - 12:00 hrs: (Room 1) Introducing the Caribbean Agricultural Extension Providers’ Network (CAEPNet)
10:00 - 12:00 hrs: Meeting of the CRFM Speical Ministerial Council
9:00 - 13:00 hrs: UWI-McGILL CARICOM Food Security Project (Room 4 & 5) Coming Soon: A Healthier Food Secure Caribbean
15:00 - 20:00 hrs: Exhibition & Trade Show
9:00 - 17:00 hrs: (CARICOM Conference Room) COTED Officials
9:00 - 16:00 hrs: IICA/ CTA/ US Department of State (Room 3) Workshop on Expanding Economic Opportunities for Women in the Caribbean & Pacific Islands
16:00 - 18:00 hrs: (Room 1) Meeting of the OECS Ministers of Agriculture
9:00 - 14:00 hrs: CAFAN (Main Conference Hall) Youth Consultation
Event
9:00 - 16:00 hrs: IICA (Room 1) Workshop on Investment in Agro-tourism
9:00 - 10:30 hrs: Citrus Company (Guyana) (Room 2) Prospects for Guyana Citrus Industry Based on Integrated Farming Systems Supported by Local and Offshore Investments
Presenta�on 18:00 hrs: (Main Conference Hall) CWA 12th Official Opening (CTA/ CARDI Regional Media Awards & Signing CRFM/ CTA MOU) CWA Exhibition & Trade Show Official Tour Reception (Invitation Only)
LUNCH
15:00 - 17:00 hrs: Meeting of CARDI Board of Governors
9:00 - 16:00 hrs: UWI-McGILL CARICOM Food Security Project (Room 4 & 5) Coming Soon: A Healthier Food Secure Caribbean
9:00 - 17:00 hrs: CRFM/ CTA/ CNFO/ CANRI (Grand Coastal) Workshop on Implementation and Mainstreaming of Regional Fisheries Policies into Small-scale Fisheries Governance in the Caribbean
Field Visits & Tours
13:30 - 15:00 hrs: Meeting of Ministerial Caucus
MMA Day
SATURDAY 12-Oct
9:00 - 12:00 hrs: UWI Faculty of Food & Agriculture (Room 3) UWI Faculty of Food & Agriculture Research and Teaching: Impacts, Linkages and Stakeholder Engagement
9:00 - 17:00 hrs: CTA/ CARDI/ UWI (Room 5) Workshop on the Development of the Coconut Industry in the Caribbean
15:00 - 17:00 hrs: CAFAN/ CTA (Main Conference Hall) Launch of the Youth in Agriculture Blog Competition (YoBloCo Awards), 2nd Edition
FRIDAY 11-Oct
CAFY Field Trip: Aquaculture Station & Trafalgar Women’s Group CRFM/ CNFO/ GUYANA/ CTA: Fisheries Facility, Processing and Aquaculture Station USB/IICA Alliance Lunch
10:00 - 11:30 hrs: GFC/ MOA (Main Conference Hall) Forestry Presentation
9:00 - 12:00 hrs: GSA (Main Conference Hall) Launch of GSA 50th Anniversary Magazine 11:00 - 16:00 hrs: FAO/ IICA/ GUYANA (Dining Room) School Competition Healthy Living Cook Off 16:00 - 18:00hrs: CTA/ CCST/ CARDI (Room 3) Launch of Caribbean Science and Agriculture Film and Video Competition. Part II
GRDB - Burma Research Centre
Guyana Ministerial Luncheon
15:00 - 17:00 hrs: IICA/ FAO/ GUYANA (Dining Room) Caribbean Cuisine Healthy Living Cook Off
Agriculture Open Day Sante Fe (Mon Repos): (Region 9) Satyadeo Shaw Aquaculture Station, GLDA, NAREI, GSA, Guyana Local Pesticide Board and Tours Mangrove Tour IICA/FAO Ministerial Luncheon
2013 CWA Magazine
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2013 CWA Magazine
Layout of the Guyana International Conference Centre Control Room
VIP Entrance Air Condition Room
Fire Control Room President’s Lounge
President’s Lounge
Disable Person W/Room
Kitchen
Ground Floor G.I.C.C
Distribution Room Storage Room Gm’s Ofce
Dining Room Flower Bed
Ladies W/Room
Gents W/Room
Public Entrance
Business Centre
Security Room
Flower Bed
Staff Ofce (General)
Main Conference Hall
Meeting Room 3
Foyer
Second Floor G.I.C.C
Meeting Room 2
Meeting Room 1
Meeting Room 5
Meeting Room 4
IICA
Secretariat
Ladies Gents Clinic W/Room W/Room
CWA Secretariat
Ladies Gents W/Room W/Room
Computer Lab
AGRICULTURE – A Decade from Today - Dr. Leslie Ramsammy
Guyana stands out as a country where agriculture has always played an important role in its development and where policies and programs reflect the certainty that agriculture is a development imperative. Agriculture accounts for over 20% of the country’s GDP. Guyana is a food-secure country and agricultural commodities represent more than 40% of its export portfolio. More than 30% of the working age population is employed directly by agriculture. Agriculture also accounts for almost 12% of Guyana’s public sector budget. Agriculture represents a crucial element in Guyana’s efforts of transforming our economy, social development and our infrastructure from a low middle income country to a high middle income country by 2020. In the 2020 Agriculture Vision, agricultural development is being promoted as the Five F Thrust: • Food – Food Security • Fibre – Nutrition Security • Fuel – Energy Security • Fashion – Cosmetic & medicinal products • Furniture – Creating economic opportunity through wood products such as furniture, crafts etc The agricultural trajectory targets diversification and modernization of the sector, overcoming barriers that presently exist, particularly, the nine (9) key binding constraints identified in the Jagdeo Initiative. Firstly, the genetic capital is being enhanced with improved varieties of crops and breeds of livestock. Secondly, access to more affordable and better fertilizers is being enhanced. Thirdly, a more effective financing arrangement plan is being put in place along with improved availability and access to land, better drainage and irrigation systems, improved access roads and farm-
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2013 CWA Magazine
to-market roads. We are also strengthening marketing links. The modernization also targets an enhanced weather-related disaster management. Guyana is proud that we are self-sufficient in poultry products, both meat and table eggs, but we will enhance the poultry industry by producing our own hatching eggs and by positioning Guyana to be a major supplier of duck meat for local consumption and for export to CARICOM. Guyana has achieved self sufficiency for beef, pork and mutton and will be a major supplier to the Caribbean market by 2020. We will also seek to reduce the importation of pasteurized milk by developing a more vibrant dairy industry, producing a range of dairy products such as milk, butter, cheese and yogurt for local consumption and export. Guyana will maintain its capacity to export marine fish and further develop its capacity to meet local and external demand for fish products through significant expansion of aquaculture and inland fishing. Guyana will also promote sports fishing, combining agriculture and tourism as a viable industry. We are strengthening our apiculture industry to make honey production a viable economic opportunity for people in communities across Guyana. We are expanding opportunities for non-food agricultural products. In this regard, Guyana is promoting horticulture and specialized crops, such as bamboo, to support the furniture and craft industries. Agriculture is being pursued not only as a producer of food for local consumption or for export. For example, Guyana has the opportunity to create biomass for the production of bio-fuel, satisfying needs other than feeding our people, needs that ensure a sustainable and affordable fuel source.
Guyana has already used agriculture to produce energy on a small scale with projects such as the Bio-Ethanol Demonstration Plant at Albion Estate. We will embark on a deliberate path to develop biomass to support a large scale bio-energy industry for Guyana. In this regard, we are presently engaged in discussions with large scale investors who are interested in producing bio-ethanol and bio-diesel from sugar cane and palm oil. We recognize that farming systems, techniques, biotechnology and precision-farming play significant roles in improving productivity, competitiveness and promoting commercialization. While genetic technology is featured more prominently in improved practices, we are also promoting technologies such as tissue culture, seed preparation and cleaning, use of molecular markers, various irrigations technologies such as drip irrigation, sprinkler and microsprinkler systems, greenhouses, modern farming techniques such as hydroponics, plastic mulch, mechanized cultivation and reaping methods, modern agronomic practices, market information and entry development, post-harvest technology and agro-processing, climate-smart agriculture, etc. For example, we are advancing to almost 100% mechanization, and more processed products in the sugar and rice industries. The use of appropriate pesticides is an important component of sound agriculture policy. We must recognize that the strengthening of the Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Board
and the strengthening of our laboratory capacity to measure pesticides in water, in soil and in agricultural produce are important priorities. In Guyana, we will more comprehensively address the issue of transportation, packaging and storage facilities, including refrigerated storage facilities and refrigerated trucks, port cargo spaces and improved river and sea transportation. Food production includes the production of some seasonal products, but consumption is usually continuous. At the moment, agricultural extension services are underfunded and neglected. It is time we make agriculture extension services, not an orphan, but a catalyst for propelling yields and quality production. Connecting farmers with new innovations should be a commitment to the science of crop management and agriculture practices. There is no global agriculture panacea – we must adopt a diversity of approaches, taking into consideration crops, livestock, aquaculture - fishes localities, cultures and other circumstances. By 2020, Guyana sees itself as CARICOM’s largest exporter of: Sugar, Rice, Vegetables, Fruits, Agro-Processed products, Fish, Meat, Wood Products and Agro-Fuel.
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Respirators & Filters, Etc 226 Camp Street, North Cummingsburg Georgetown, Guyana Tel: (592) 225-7405/6 | 226-0386 | Fax: (592) 225-7166 Email: indsafety@networksgy.com
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GO-Invest - Working with Investors within the Agricultural Sector in Guyana GO-INVEST is that gateway which connects the world to Guyana, enabling entrepreneurs from around the globe to tap into the wealth of trade and investment opportunities available in the country. It is the Government Agency for any investor looking for the best and most accurate counsel to start a business venture, grow an existing one or explore overseas markets. The Mission of GO-Invest is “To contribute to Guyana's economic development by promoting and facilitating local and foreign private-sector investment and exports in accordance with the country's approved investment and export strategies”. The Agency was established in 1994 to stimulate, facilitate, and promote the development of trade and industry, and export and investment activities in all sectors of the Guyanese economy. In recent years GO-Invest has placed extra focus on local direct investments to encourage Guyanese nationals to invest in Guyana and has also committed to improving the business environment in partnership with other government agencies and the private sector. GO-Invest targets eight (8) Priority sectors in Guyana; namely Agriculture / Agro-processing, Services, Light Manufacturing, Tourism, Energy, Wood Products, Mining and Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The Government of Guyana offers a wide variety of Fiscal and other Incentives to Investors within these sectors including Land, Exemptions of Customs Duty and Taxes on Machinery and Equipment, approved Vehicles, Raw Materials and Inputs. Over the years GO-Invest has worked with numerous Investors within the Agricultural Sector to establish and develop their Businesses; and when possible acquire concessions to aid in the process. The Agricultural Sector represents a significant portion of the Agency’s portfolio. The Projects facilitated vary from Crop and Livestock Production, Feed Mills, Hatcheries, Aquaculture, Agro-Processing, Seafood Processing, Packaging, Cold Storage to Green House / Shade House Farming. For further information on how Go-Invest can assist you, visit us at the Guyana Office for Investments (Go-Invest), Lot 190, Camp and Church Streets, Georgetown, Guyana, South America or call on Tel:(592) 225 0655; 227 0653/4 or by fax (592) 225 0655. Emails can be sent to goinvest@goinvest.gov.gy or visit us at www.goinvest.gov.gy/guyana.html
Food Security a must for the region:
the CIFSRF CARICOM Project Caribbean people seem to have taken a liking to diets that are high in calories and low in nutrient value. The increased consumption of imported energy-dense processed foods– high in salt, starch, sugars and fats – is driving up the incidence of stroke, hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular disease in the region. This consumption behaviour has created twin problems of obesity and under-nutrition. Diet-related illnesses have become a major public health concern and is costing the region US$1B annually; a major financial burden on the region’s health care system. Having recognised this, researchers at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus and McGill University, Canada embarked on finding solutions to this urgent problem of food and nutrition security in the Caribbean. Working with regional and local institutions, including the Ministries of Agriculture, Education and Health in Guyana, St. Lucia and St. Kitts and Nevis; the national School Dietary Services Limited of Trinidad and Tobago; the Caribbean Environmental Health Institute (CEHI); the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI); and the University of Guyana; the two universities took a multidisciplinary approach to agriculture, food, nutrition, environment and health in order to reduce the region’s food import bill and to reduce the incidence of dietary-related illnesses. Experts in the areas of social, agricultural, nutrition and environmental sciences focussed on solving these problems. In March 2011, a 42-month research project was initiated with CAD$5M funding from the Canadian International Food Security Research Fund (CIFSRF), through the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Titled ‘Improving the nutrition and health of CARICOM populations through sustainable agricultural technologies that increase food availability and diversity of food choices’, the project is taking the innovative “farm to fork” approach, a concept that promotes locally grown and locally purchased farm produce. Stakeholders on the ground One key goal of the project is to change consumer behaviour towards a more diversified diet that includes locally farmed vegetables, fruits and animal-sourced products. Recognising that healthy eating begins at an early age, children and their parents have been specially identified as target groups for nutrition and health interventions. Small holder farmers in pilot communities in Guyana, St Lucia and St Kitts are being equipped with agricultural technologies to increase
productivity of locally grown vegetables, fruits and animal products. The project works with the school-feeding programmes in St. Kitts and Nevis and in Trinidad and Tobago. These have been identified as major vehicles for changing community nutrition outcomes and developing an appropriate ‘farm to fork’ model that links agriculture and health. Understanding the Socioeconomic and market context The results of baseline surveys to collect data on the socioeconomic, cultural, nutritional and farming conditions of the target groups conducted in the project countries have been invaluable in ensuring that the project interventions are relevant and well-designed. The baseline information will also enable the determination of the impact of interventions at the end of the project. Based on social network analysis, ground breaking work is also being conducted in St. Lucia to understand the role of farmer social capital in bringing about innovation in farming and food security policy. Nutrition interventions in schools Changes in school lunch menus have been implemented in primary schools both in St Kitts and Trinidad. Further, in Trinidad, investigations are being undertaken to determine whether there is synergy between nutrition education and changes in the meals offered. The aim is to improve the nutritional composition of school meals by introducing fresh, locally farmed vegetables, fruits and animal products. The programmes target school children as well as their caregivers. Adults have been taught the importance of nutrition to their well- being and that of their families and the benefits of more diversified and healthy diets. Equipping farmers with appropriate technologies The water and land resources component of the Project is addressing the problems of under production due to water scarcity in the dry season and excess water in the wet season.
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wet and dry season in the Caribbean. The quantification of post-harvest losses from horticultural crops, identification of appropriate varieties and growth media for green house crop production, and establishment and conservation (as silage) of drought tolerant forages (sorghum and mulatto grass) for small ruminant production represent additional project achievements that would increase year round availability of nutritious produce and improve economic returns to small holder farmers. Knowledge Uptake and Policy Impact Project activities are also aimed at regional capacity building and uptake of project knowledge and findings by policy makers. In August 2014, when the project comes to an end, the expectation is that the systematic and integrated farm to fork approach to food availability, access, safety and quality adopted by this project will be scaled up to other countries in the region with the end result being improved nutrition and health of CARICOM population. Communication materials are being prepared for widespread dissemination of project findings using all the available media in the region.
Forage sorghum production, St Kitts and Nevis
Project results of drip irrigation interventions in St. Kitts show major increases in yields of pumpkin and watermelon, and substantial improvement in the diversity of crops grown by small farmers. Much of this produce is now being used in the new menus developed for use in the school lunch program for children and providing enhanced market outlet for small holder farmers. On-farm research data from Guyana on drip irrigation, rainfall and soil moisture dynamics will lead to a better understanding of crop water requirements during the
A healthier Caribbean population is in the making with this project and with goodwill and support of all food producers and regional governments, people in the region could expect to have available in the near future, a diversity in choice of safe, quality and nutritious food on a year round basis. Such are the noble goals of the CIFSRF CARICOM Food Security project!
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2013 CWA Magazine
Update: Jagdeo Initiative Update: Jagdeo Initiative
By: Dr. Richard A. Blair, IICA Coordinator Caribbean Regional Agenda, Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat
By: Dr. Richard A. Blair, IICA Coordinator Caribbean Regional Agenda, Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat
Constraint
Progress on Functioning Technical Management Advisory Committees (TMAC)
Inadequate Land and Water Resource Management and Distribution Systems
This (TMAC) has continued to be exceedingly vibrant. Regular monthly meetings have been held over the past year and results have been achieved in all of the ve priority areas as dened in its annual work programme: Land Use Policy and Legislation and land zoning (Formulation/Review and Reform), Soil and Land Restoration/Conservation; Disaster Preparedness Responses and Adaptation/ Mitigation Mechanism in relation to agriculture; Integrated Water Resources Management and Water policy, Management Plans, Institutions and Legislation. Some of the more recent achievements include: strengthened capacity of land use planners, academia and civil society in participatory land use planning, with a specic focus on Participation, Negotiation, Gender dimension and Facilitating skills; Strengthened capacity in national and local level land degradation assessment methodologies and a Disaster Risk Management Plan for the Agriculture Sector developed for Guyana; While these programmes were largely driven through the Technical Cooperation Programme (TCPs) of FAO the Lead Agency of the TMAC, the TMAC has contributed signicantly in planning specic interventions. To this end the TMAC has singlehandedly prepared a number of Regional project concepts targeting funding under the Intra ACP programme.
Decient and Uncoordinated Disaster Risk Management, including Praedial Larceny
Following a lull in the earlier part of the year, this TMAC has witnessed a strong resurgence in its activities. Particularly, a largely successful face-to-face TMAC meeting was convened in Antigua involving all of the main stakeholders (Lead Country Ofcials, Lead Agencies and associated agencies). One of the main issues discussed at the meeting was the need for greater recognition and action to be taken at the Regional level with respect to the concern of praedial larceny. To this end the TMAC will present to the 41st Special COTED, a paper titled 'Praedial Larceny and Regional Food Safety: Implications for Public Health' emphasizing the often overlooked public health concern with the hope that stronger Regional policy support will be won for the implementation of specic actions at both the regional and National levels given the food-safety/public health implications. The main output of the meeting was the TMAC's Strategic Plan 2013-2018. This Strategic Plan follows a results based approach with four key outcome areas identied. These outcome areas are as follows: i. Enhanced governance mechanisms to alleviate decient and uncoordinated DRM including Praedial larceny; ii. Enhanced strategic and operational frameworks for appropriate risk transfer mechanisms; iii. DRM mainstreamed in the agriculture sector; iv. Enhanced institutional architecture for addressing praedial larceny; Some key actions identied within the Plan include: Encouraging the establishment and training of a focal point for agriculture risk issues at the national level within CARICOM Member States; Promoting and supporting the establishment of risk transfer mechanisms including agriculture insurance in the Caribbean; Providing technical assistance in the management of climatic agricultural risks to include: o Agriculture policy and plans which incorporate DRM, climate variability and change o Forecast information (Early Warning Systems) to support planning by farmers o Inuencing the use of appropriate technologies for integrated water resource management (IWRM) that integrate climate information Developing model legislation and policy for Praedial Larceny and; Encouraging countries to develop enact and enforce praedial larceny legislation. CDEMA continues to lend sterling support to the process.
Inadequate Research ad Development
This TMAC convened a major face-to-face TMAC meeting in Trinidad and Tobago involving all the main stakeholders (Lead Country Ofcials, Lead Agencies and associated agencies). This must be noted as a signicant development as it represents the very rst ofcial meeting of the TMAC. The main agenda items discussed at the meeting were as follows: a) A regional strategy for Research and Development the way forward b) Linking the Caribbean and Hemispheric Research and Development systems c) Research and Development needs to address climate change The TMAC agreed to present to the COTED for its endorsement, of the 'Caribbean Regional Strategy For Agricultural Research And Development.'
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2013 CWA Magazine
Constraint
Progress on Functioning Technical Management Advisory Committees (TMAC)
Lack of Skills and Quality Human Resources in Agriculture ‘Market Infrastructure including Market Information and Market Linkages’ and ‘Fragmented and Unorganised Private Sector’
Genuine efforts were made to organize joint TMAC meetings where there were opportunities for crosscutting issues to be addressed. To this end, regular meetings featuring the 'Market Infrastructure including Market Information and Market Linkages' and the 'Fragmented and Unorganized Private Sector' TMACs were convened. Some of the keys issues discussed were as follows: (a) The implementation of the 10th EDF Intra-ACP Agriculture Policy Programme and its implications for the two TMACs in attendance. Particularly, it was stressed as important that the TMACs be able to play a signicant role in inuencing how the interventions under the Intra-ACP programme are rolled out.
Inadequate Transportation Systems
(b)
The point that under the 10th EDF Intra-ACP Agriculture Policy Programme, the component related to 'enterprise development' is particularly important to the two TMACs and therefore much of the their work in the near future would be centred on th supporting the 1st year activities of the 10 EDF Intra-ACP Agriculture Policy Programme. Part of this work would involve a baseline assessment to ascertain what obtains currently in the Region in terms of project activities in order to determine the Regional Priorities.
(c)
The importance of involving the traditional 'umbrella' private sector organizations of Member States in agriculture.
While this TMAC has not held any meeting for the year, the Secretariat has acted decisively by tabling a paper at the Forty-Third Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) (Transportation), in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, 29 May 2013. The paper sought to reignite at a Ministerial/Regional policy level, the issue of transportation as it relates to agricultural trade in the Region. To this end, it highlighted the status of Regional transportation given the Regional agriculture context through emphasis on the key problems as identied by various studies on the subject, the mandates from COTED and other bodies and the identied support and mechanisms for supporting the process of alleviating the transport constraint in agriculture. Emphasis was also placed on the need for the inter-agency collaboration involving CaFAN, the CARICOM Secretariat, the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the InterAmerican Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA) and other stakeholders and the involvement of the TMAC mechanism in addressing the constraint.
Planned Actions The 10 EDF Intra-ACP Agriculture Policy Programme with direct funding under the line item 'Support Implementation of Regional th
Agricultural Policies & Strategies: Community Agriculture Policy (CAP); Liliendaal Declaration; Jagdeo Initiative and Dominican Republic Agriculture Policy,' will provide the much needed llip to the TMAC process. Below are some of the activities earmarked for funding in the rst year of the programme's implementation: 1.
Conduct a review and re-orientation of the regional mechanisms for intra-regional trade facilitation in plant and animal products
2.
Conduct review and orient private sector coordination (startup)
3.
Review and orient marketing coordination
4.
Assessment of availability of agricultural nancing for small and medium enterprises (SMEs)
5.
Mobilization and engagement of Regional stakeholders for Transportation of agricultural produce
6.
Conduct survey on use of non tariff measures (NTMs) other than sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures used by all countries
7.
Development of JI index for Monitoring performance.
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Economic Empowerment of Women in Agriculture – Towards a Caribbean Action Plan by IICA
Woman Producer, Belmont Estate, Grenada
For a very long time, the contribution of women in agriculture in the Caribbean Region as food producers, farm workers, agro-processors, hucksters, vendors, cooks, restaurant operators, supermarket managers and agribusiness entrepreneurs, has remained under-valued and unrecognized. Within recent times, however, investors have come to realize that women in the world’s growth economies reinvest up to 90 percent of their income in their families’ health, education and well-being—the building blocks for strong economies. The fact is that when we empower women, we empower the economy. Women involved in businesses along the Agri-Food chain, have begun to receive much-needed attention from national governments, international development agencies, NGOs and large multinational private sector firms. Regional and international banking institutions including the Scotia Group with its Scotia Farm Programme in Jamaica, the World Bank and its INFODEV facility, and the Finance Alliance for Sustainable Trade (FAST), are all keen on supporting SMEs managed by women, giving them the training they need and helping them gain access to markets. Several regional and international alliances such as WeConnect, Partners of the Americas, Feed the Future, are also coming forward forged to help women network better to achieve success in agribusiness.
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2013 CWA Magazine
The potential for economic empowerment and wealth creation is tremendous. Small and micro-businesses managed by women in the USA, the Pacific and South Africa are now accessing international niche markets in the supermarket, specialty food and foodservice sectors, the spa and wellness industry and the tourism sector. At the level of the multinationals for example, there is Walmart which recently launched its “Women’s Economic Empowerment Project Partnership” that will educate and empower women with the skills and confidence necessary to get a job, maintain a healthy lifestyle and obtain a voice. The underlying philosophy behind this programme is that “when women are empowered, whole families benefit, and these benefits often have ripple effects to future generations.” Throughout the Caribbean, an increasing range of unique and authentic food and health and wellness products produced by women or women’s cooperatives, is finding its way onto the shelves of local, regional and international supermarket and specialty food retail chains, and into Spas and Beauty and Wellness Centres and gift shops. Specialty foods produced by female food processors and women-led community groups are being exported to US, UK and even to markets as far away as Japan and Russia. The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture -IICA – is strongly committed to women in agriculture and rural development in Latin America and the Caribbean Region. IICA has been instrumental in the birth and development of CANROP – an umbrella network of Caribbean rural women producers, with several active chapters in Member states in the Region. We are seeing tangible results from our work with rural women from The Bahamas, Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic in the north to the OECS, Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana and Suriname, where our women producers are turning the fortunes of their families and farms around by establishing projects and agribusinesses that work for them and their communities. Ongoing projects range from straw handicraft and neem products in the Bahamas to fresh produce organic markets in Barbados, mango festivals in the ECS and Trinidad, organic coconut oil, casareep and cassava bread in Guyana. There are also several successful rural tourism projects managed by women including the award winning Community Tourism Project at Lake Capoey, managed by Toshao Yolande de Yonge.
Lake Capoey, Guyana
CANROP has developed a Strategic Plan for its development which deals with improving governance in its chapters, expanding its network, training, knowledge management, communication and business development. In collaboration with our IICA Office in Washington and with partner agencies and international donors, CANROP is now looking to connect with successful women in agribusiness, sharing success stories and lessons learned in leadership and advocacy, and forge alliances both within and beyond the Caribbean through South-South cooperation with women in the Pacific Region. At this year´s CWA, these and other issues will be discussed in a Women´s Forum involving CANROP, women from the Pacific and donors.
Block X, Eccles, E.B.D. Tel: (592) 233-2479 Fax: (592) 233-2485 Email: nhsl@noblesea.com
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Guyana Agriculture Diversification Programme (GADP) 34
Inspecting the tilapia fingerlings that are being cultured in cages (cage culture), Satyadeo Shaw Aquaculture Station, Guyana
The Department for International Development (DFID), developed the Guyana Agriculture Diversification Programme (GADP) in order to support the Government of Guyana and the Ministry of Agriculture. Implemented by CARANA Corporation, GADP will facilitate the diversification of agriculture underway in Guyana in the horticulture and aquaculture sectors through increased acres under production. GADP is focused on Global GAP traceability standards, modern technologies, and management practices. The GADP employs a market and demand driven methodology, meaning that GADP works backwards from the market to identify products that have buyers and a demand. This methodology dictates rigorous traceability of all inputs so that independent, third party certification is an end result. While many of the products will be initially exported into the Caribbean, they are being produced according to Global GAP standards so that exports can flow into the US or European markets once sufficient volume is reached. GADP utilizes a stringent memorandum of understanding approach to partnership. The technology transfer is a demanding system of technical inputs and mentoring; in turn, GADP amalgamates the products and exports them. Technical assistance is delivered at farm level and customized to each farm, with daily farm visits and mentoring between programme staff and partners. Technology is also transferred through the use of new inputs that are imported by GADP into Guyana. These cutting-edge technologies greatly increase yield and overall farm profitability. GADP’s combined package of technical assistance and inputs will allow Guyanese agriculture to compete internationally. GADP plans to address key policy changes that will decrease the number of steps and necessary costs for exporting out of Guyana, therefore increasing Guyana’s international competitiveness. GADP will continue to work with airline and shipping companies to lower the cost of exports out of Guyana. Increasing the volume of exported products will give GADP a better bargaining position to help lower costs. GADP will also work on solutions to streamline the packaging of exports in order to lower costs. These policy changes will allow GADP models for aquaculture and agriculture to become more profitable for farmers and investors. To aid expansion, GADP has built financial investment models. These models explain the business proposition of an agriculture or aquaculture investment. The investment models are premised on a variety of different factors to give investors options and allow for a mixture of self-financing and bank financing. The end result of a model is to allow farmers to acquire bank financing for their investment. Patrick Henry Team Leader - CARANA Corporation
2013 CWA Magazine
Guyana Food Self-Sufficiency Looks to
Article from Fortune 500 - May 20, 2013 (Number 7)
Though services are on the rise, agriculture continues to play a significant role in Guyana’s economy, making up 25% of total GDP and employing a third of the country’s workforce. The sector’s significance is even more evident in exports, where rice and sugar alone make up 26% of the country’s trade volume, generating $275 million per year. Trade levels have been boosted by Guyana’s membership in the Caricom Single Market and Economy (since January 2006), along with commercial agreements such as the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act, which affords a number of Guyanese agriculture products duty-free access to the US market and duty-free Economic Partnership Agreement with the EU. The agreement has been extended to 2020. Yet, as exports have risen, so too have food imports. They currently total $220 per capita per year, and this has Minister of Agriculture Leslie Ramsammy worried, especially given the fact that Guyana has the capacity to produce the majority of these products at home. “We import three times more food than the average for a developing country in a region that can produce everything it needs, “ says Ramsammy. “Trinidad imports hundreds of millions of dollars of tilapia from China, yet just one large aquaculture farm in Guyana could meet all of their needs. So we are now encouraging people to take up these opportunities. We are beginning to grow turmeric, for example, which we used to import in large amounts. “We are heavily investing in research, and we have begun to produce what we used to import. My aim is to ensure that if we can produce it and grow it in Guyana, then we should do so. If not, then the food import bill will become unsustainable.”
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Rice has been a particularly successful crop. Production is expected to reach 600, 000 tons this year, up from 400,000 tons in 2012, and much of the increase is due to the introduction of better strains for the Guyanese climate following research on the issue. Today, the country boasts more than 12 different varieties of rice, and last year it introduced aromatic rice - the first in the Caribbean – to complete with basmati and jasmine. “This is only one commercial venture of ours. We plan first to satisfy local demand and then enter the Caribbean market. We consume roughly 15%, so we can export the rest,” adds Ramsammy. Dr. Jagnarine Singh of the Guyana Rice Development Board says that SeaRice “Caribbean’s recent expansion in the country helps guarantee the distribution of Guyanese rice on markets overseas. “ SeaRice’s acquisition signifies a nice vertical integration process in the industry,” says Singh. “You have an important group that has become a lot more interested in Guyana. They believe that this is a very good time to invest here since we have guaranteed markets out there,” he notes, adding that “we have a lot of very good people working in the sector. We have had record productions in each of the last three years, and 2013 should be even better.” Increasing value-added production is also a priority, according to Ramsammy. Guyana is now packaging its rice and sugar products and is expanding into other agro-industries, such as the production of fruit juices, pepper sauce, and condiments. “We have also established the new Guyana Marketing Corporation where we work with agro-processors to improve presentation, packaging and marketing.” He concludes. “We are experiencing a real paradigm shift in agriculture. And that is my job: to encourage this shift.”
Zero Hunger Challenge in the Caribbean by FAO
The Zero Hunger Challenge and the Hunger Free Latin America and the Caribbean Initiative (HFLACI) are commitments , supported by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), to contribute to creating the conditions that will allow for the permanent eradication of hunger by 2025 in Latin America and the Caribbean. The HFLACI Initiative started during the Latin American Summit on Chronic Hunger in Guatemala in 2005. In June 2012 at the Rio+ 20 summit the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, announced the Zero Hunger Challenge (ZHC) as a global challenge.
Zero Hunger Pilot programmes are currently underway in Latin America and the Caribbean. In the Caribbean the ZHC pilot started in Antigua and Barbuda. The country has reported pockets of undernutrition, both stunting and wasting, in the child population. There is also the challenge of rising levels of obesity largely associated with poor food choices and increased consumption of processed foods. A Zero Hunger Plan of Action has been developed to tackle these issues following an Inter-Agency Mission comprised of representatives from FAO, IICA, the World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), in November 2012. The components of a roadmap developed for the elimination of hunger and poverty are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
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Economic expansion and diversification of the agricultural sector; Improvements in the nutrition and health status of the population; Expansion in the social protection system and improvements in its operations; Expansion of pro-poor employment and income generating opportunities; Good governance and management of hunger and poverty programmes.
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Expanding on existing capacity and strengthening current and future programmes, the Zero Hunger program has ensured a holistic approach and significant progress to date including: • expansion of the backyard garden programme • defining of new markets and marketing strategies • assessment of food safety mechanisms • evaluation of the Schools Meals Programme and implementation of improvements; • appointment of a Nutritionist to improve the nutritional status of school meals and preschool programs; • completion of a Food Based Dietary Guidelines promotion plan; • governance mechanisms have been strengthened as demonstrated by the appointment of a National Coordinator for the Initiative and the operationalization of an Inter-sectoral Technical Management Advisory Committee, including Directors of the Ministries of Agriculture, Health and Education, to support the National Coordinator.
Exporters of: White Rice, Cargo Rice and Bi-Products
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Guyana’s Ric Production
Introduction
The Guyana rice industry, represents a small proportion of the world’s rice industry, but contributes significantly, both directly and indirectly, to the well-being of more than 250,000 people in Guyana. Being a significant socioeconomic pillar of our country it is essential that the industry gets the support not only from Guyana but from our fellow brothers and sisters in the Region. The Rice Industry contributed as much as 40% of Agriculture Gross Domestic Product (GDP) over the last ten years. From its humble beginnings the industry, since 2008 has become the largest contributor to Agriculture GDP, a significant achievement for the farmers and stakeholders.
Markets
Guyana is a major exporter of rice and has had preferential access to the European and CARICOM markets for more than thirty (30) years. But over the last three years a “more preferential” market has been obtained, which is the Venezuela market. The prospects for continued growth of rice production and exports from Guyana will depend on providing an expanding market for paddy rice at the farm level and maintaining a competitive export marketing industry. Guyana produced less than one per-cent of the total world paddy production in 2012. As a result of its small size, the industry is vulnerable to any changes in the international rice market scenario since the country export in excess of 65 % of its production. Given the size of our industry we are “price takers”.
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Paddy rice production in Guyana has expanded by over 350% from a low of 155,700 mt in 1990 to a high of 649,320 mt in 2012. This has been due in part to advances in research and development, technology transfer, Government support and a protective market environment. For the sustained performance there is a need for continued financial investment in research and development, creation of linkages and strategic marketing alliances, and the implementation of policies which will take the industry to much higher levels of sustainability. Over the last decade yields in the industry has increased from 3.5 tonnes per ha to 5.2 tonnes per ha thus increasing exports from 51,000 tonnes in 1990 to over 336,000 tonnes in 2010. These changes were due to the development of improved rice varieties, increase in quality seed paddy produced, application of improved management practices, rehabilitation of the drainage and irrigation systems, and access to preferential markets, etc. In the 2012-2022 Strategic Plan, rice production is targeted at 500,000 tonnes by 2016. This is expected be achieved this year, nine years earlier than was previously projected thereby confirming that the industry is making remarkable progress. The significant achievements of the industry can be attributed to the following: • Increasing Yield due to the investment P in research and technology transfer: In 1970, 1980 and early 1990 farmers were obtaining
Rice Industry by the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB)
approximately 1.8 tonnes of paddy per hectare. However, in 2000 this amount increased to about 2.8 tonnes and last year there was an even further increase to approximately 4.4 tonnes per hectare and the first crop of 2013 it is averaging at 5.4 t/ha.
sending the young staff of GRDB for further specialized training is now bearing fruit. This training has not stopped as there is two staff completing their PhD and three their MSc overseas at the moment. • P Drainage and Irrigation: Adequate and reliable drainage and irrigation is important for the sector. The increase in government investment in excavators, pumps and other equipment has resulted in less acreage being lost due to flooding and making water available despite some very dry period.
This has been attributed to newer higher yielding varieties that have been developed. Since GRDB's initial investment in Rice Research in 1995 twelve new varieties were released. Prior to that only one notable variety was released. Recently four new varieties were released with another in the prerelease stage. Technology in the form of farmers’ field school, field days and field demonstrations had brought farmers education to higher levels.
• The New Frontier: In P 2010 the Government of Guyana with the assistance of the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for Development, establish a Hinterland Rice and Beans Project. This project was established in Moco Moco, Region 9.
• P Improved management: The “six point” system first introduced in the spring crop 2007 has brought tremendous benefits to farmers. It focuses on timely sowing , plant density, seed treatment, early weed control, balanced fertilization and efficient water management.
As a result of the experience gained in this project a group of investors have commenced a major commercial rice cultivation in Region 9; Santa Fe. This Agricultural Development Project is intended to develop a vast expanse of land that was otherwise idle. From the early indication it will be a successful project that will “tap into” the vast Brazilian market.
These improved management practices are being adopted on a large scale by farmers with higher yields being experienced every season with as much as 50 bags per acre in the spring crop 2013. Human Resource Development: GRDB is now experiencing the benefits of the effort it had made in training its “young” staff at the post graduate level. This program is continuing so that the Rice Research Station can have qualified competent staff in all areas of research. Today the Board is proud to say that all the departments of the Rice Research Station are headed by Guyanese with Post Graduate Degrees. The investment in
• P
Aromatic Variety
A significant achievement to note is that Guyana’s first aromatic line of rice was successfully cultivated in a large plot with the cooperation of a farmer. This will be tested across the country during the 2013 first crop.
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World Food Day. 16 October 2013. Healthy People Depend on Healthy Food Systems
A food system is made up of the environment, people, institutions and processes by which agricultural products are produced, processed and brought to consumers. Every aspect of the food system has an effect on the final availability and accessibility of diverse, nutritious foods – and therefore on consumers’ ability to choose healthy diets. What is more, policies and interventions on food systems are rarely designed with nutrition as their primary objective. The immediate causes of malnutrition are complex. They include inadequate availability of (and access to) safe, diverse, nutritious food; lack of access to clean water, sanitation and health care; and inappropriate child feeding and adult dietary choices. The root causes of malnutrition are even more complex and encompass the broader economic, social, political, cultural and physical environment. Addressing malnutrition, therefore, requires integrated action and complementary interventions in agriculture and the food system, in natural resource management, in public health and education, and in broader policy domains. Because the necessary actions typically involve several government institutions, high-level political support is needed to motivate a coordinated effort. • Producing more food good but not enough Higher productivity can raise incomes, leading to improved nutrition and a increase in the availability of staple foods to meet rising demands. But healthy diets are more than staple foods. They are diverse, containing a balanced and adequate combination of energy and nutrients. The priorities for agricultural research and development must become more nutrition-sensitive, with a stronger focus on nutrient-dense foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes and animal-source foods. • Consumer choice and behaviour change Consumers need help to make healthy dietary choices. Promoting behaviour change through nutrition education and information campaigns – while also addressing household sanitation and ensuring appropriate foods for all ages and life stages, particularly the first 1000 days – has proved effective. Even in locations where undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies persist, it is important to also act to prevent a rise in overweight and obesity, especially in the long run.
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• Supply chain pros and cons Modern supply chains integrate storage, distribution and retailing – and offer efficiency gains that can lead to lower prices for consumers and higher incomes for farmers. Processing and packaging of nutrient-dense but highly perishable foods like milk, vegetables and fruit can make a variety of nutritious foods more available and affordable to consumers year round. On the other hand, highly processed, energy-dense foods may contribute to overweight and obesity when consumed in excess. Improved sanitation, food handling, and storage technologies in traditional food systems could boost efficiency and improve the safety and nutritional quality of foods. Reducing food and nutrient losses and waste throughout food systems could make important contributions to better nutrition and relieve pressure on productive resources. • Institutional and policy environment for nutrition The most effective approaches to malnutrition will involve multiple sectors and a range of different actors. Such an approach – with effective planning, coordination and collaboration – requires better governance, based on sound data, a common vision and, above all, political leadership.
AMAZON CARIBBEAN GUYANA LTD.
Welcome
all visitors to the caribbean’s premier event as Guyana hosts the th 12 caribbean Week of agriculture
“linking the caribbean for Regional food and nutrition security and Rural development AMAZON CARIBBEAN GUYANA LTD. (AMCAR) is the only company in Guyana to produce and sell finished organic products to the largest retail chains in the world. Heart of Palm and pineapple, both cer�fied organic, are two perishable produces transformed into added value product of the highest quality food standard, through the cer�fica�on Interna�onal Featured Standard (IFS) since 2010. In 2013 AMCAR is cer�fying for FAIR TRADE and more recently CLIMATE COMMITMENT CERTIFICATION through a Carbon Neutral Strategy Development. AMCAR is invi�ng interested farmers, investors or groups to contact their CEO at info@amcarguyana.com to discuss future coopera�on on projects such as manicole palm planta�on, acai fruit, pineapple, mango, papaya and passion fruit… AMCAR believes in the sustainable future of organic agro-industry for Guyana.
From the Board of Directors, management & Staff of the
Guyana Rice Development BoaRD 117 cowan Street, Kingston, Georgetown, Guyana, p.o. Box:-10247
Guyana Livestock & Pet Supplies Suppliers of:Baby Chicken, Poultry and other Animals, Medication, Equipment and Pet Supplies, Etc.
44 Robb Street Street, Lacytown, Georgetown, Guyana Tel: (592) 227-1609 Email:deonarineramgobin@yahoo.com
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Enhancing the participation of marginalized rural communities in Saint Lucia A perspective from Saint Lucia
Traditionally in provision of essential Saint Lucia, agroinfrastructure and processing and demonstration of value adding were proven practices. largely practised In addition, a by women in home concerted effort was conditions. Although made to enhance these women are the capacity of rural significant providers women and youth; of food and a cadre of extension nutrition security technicians; and a and offer savings in cadre of teachers to foreign exchange, identify problems large quantities and solutions of prepared foods to address the including snacks and challenges faced by value added foods rural communities are imported into in the production Agro-processed products from Saint Lucia Saint Lucia annually. and marketing of agro Agro-processing is processed goods and viewed as a viable technological option as cottage industries to services. The intervention contributed to alleviating the improve agro-processing production compared to traditional challenges by the following: methods of agro-processing and have the potential to enhance yields at consistent quality in sanitary processing conditions. 1. Provision of adequate physical conditions In addition, there is efficient use of labour and other inputs – establishment of model agro processing facilities to when best practices are effectively adopted. Despite the demonstrate proven practices. Factors affecting the cost, potential of agro processing to reduce imports and provide quality and efficiency in the production and marketing rural employment, many rural women and youth have been of produced products understood to guide targeted unable to establish and maintain profitable enterprises. interventions in other rural communities. The Government of St. Lucia took a decision to complete the rehabilitation, secure the grounds and convert an old processing structure into an agro-processing plant, for the consolidation and processing of vegetables, fruits and root crops to serve the farming communities in the northern and central parts of the island. This facility has enabled the communities to generate alternate food commodities from primary agricultural products. This initiative has also encouraged the enhancement of food security by increasing income, improving the communities’ access to food, reduce wastage, provide employment and raise the nutritional value of diets while ensuring a more balanced intake of food. This project also assisted the rural women and youth in overcoming some of the challenges being faced by the
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2. Enhanced capacity of rural women, youth, and extension and education technicians in the management of efficient and profitable agro processing operations. The intervention also contributes to improving the participation by rural women and youth in productive economic activities in the targeted communities of Saint Lucia. The intervention also assists the rural women and youth to achieve improved products; consistent production of products; and improved efficiency and profitability of their operations and enhanced sustainability in the supply of the produced goods and services. Food security is also enhanced by extending the shelf life of vacuum packed products and local juice pulps.
- Revitalising The Industry by the National Agriculture Research and Extension Institute (NAREI)
In terms of acreage, coconuts rank third after rice and sugar; occupying about 50,000 acres. The main varieties of coconuts cultivated are the Jamaica Tall, Panama Tall, Bastard and several Dwarf varieties. There has been the recent introduction of the ’18 month variety.’
Gafoors is proud to offer a wide range of top quality Agricultural Tools and Equipment. Available to you are:
Coconut is the major non- traditional commodity exported in recent years. This is primarily as dried coconut. There are some exports of frozen coconut water to Trinidad. The increasing demand for coconut and it’s by- products has led to the revitalisation of the coconut industry. Increased attention is being paid to the expansion of cultivation, rehabilitation of the estates and improving the agronomy of the crop through fertilization programmes and management of pests and diseases. Attention is also being given to enhance the production of valueadded coconut products.
THE NAME YOU CAN TRUST
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FARMERS’ CONNECTION 46
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SAVE and GROW method can create Caribbean cassava bounty
Save and Grow, an environmentally-friendly farming model promoted by the Food and Agriculture Organization, can sustainably increase cassava yields by up to 400 percent and help turn this staple from a poor people's food into a 21st Century crop. According to FAOSTAT, in 2011, the Caribbean region produced an estimated 1 351 714 tonnes of cassava. Global cassava output has increased by 60 percent since 2000 and is set to accelerate further over the current decade as policymakers recognize its huge potential.
Prestige Mango Achar
Prestige Pickled Cherry Pepper
Prestige Bilimbi Achar
Prestige Tamarind Achar
Prestige Green Seasoning
Prestige Lime Achar
In its newly-published field guide detailing Save and Grow's applications to cassava smallholder production, greater yields are possible through a focus on improved soil health, minimizing soil disturbance caused by conventional tillage, maintaining a protective cover of vegetation over soil, mixed cropping and crops rotation and integrated pest management, using disease-free planting material and pests' natural enemies. The guide covers farming systems, varieties and planting material, water management, crop nutrition, pests and diseases, harvest, post-harvest and value addition.
Prestige Karaila Lime Sauce
Prestige Hot Sauce
Prestige Mustard Flavoured Edible Oil
Prestige White Vinegar
Prestige Chinese Sauce Prestige Cassava cassareep
Prestige Mixed Essence
Prestige Manufacturing and Bottling Enterprise Lot 31 Eccles Industrial Estate East Bank Demerara, Guyana S.A. & Lot 10 La Grange West Bank Demerara Guyana S.A Tel:- 233-3512 / 264-3720 Email:-prestigefoodsguyana@gmail.com www.prestigefoodsgy.com
Prestige Ground Thyme
The Save and Grow approach has yielded spectacular results in trials around the world. In Vietnam cassava yields grew from 8.5 tonnes to 36 tonnes -- an increase of over 400 percent. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, farmers saw yield increases of up to 250 percent. The free 140 page guide can be downloaded from the FAO website at http://www.fao.org/ag/save-and-grow/cassava FAO’s Subregional Office for the Caribbean is taking several steps to support the development of the regional cassava industry.
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Home of Genuine Demerara Cane Sugars BOBCAT, EXCAVATOR & CONSTRUCTION SERVICES Edward Singh -
Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc.
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Manager
83 Old Road, Eccles, E.B.D; Guyana Tel: (592) 233-2635 Cell: (592) 698-0535 (592) 624-1667 Email: edwardsingh77@gmail.com
Agro-Processing in Guyana
by the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC)
In Guyana the Agro-processing Industry is mainly made up of small and medium sized enterprises in the processing of traditional agricultural products and fresh fruits and vegetables for domestic use and export. Guyana has a growing agroprocessing industry, reflecting the importance of the agricultural sector to the Guyanese economy. A wide spectrum of Guyana’s agro-industries exists today, ranging from processing of fresh Fruits & Vegetables to beverage production resulting in products such as margarine, beer, jam’s and jelly’s, coconut oil, condiments and snacks, fruit juices and much more. Guyana is in close proximity to the 15 member countries of CARICOM and is positioning itself to be the gateway to South America. Already, Guyana’s exotic and gourmet food products are in demand in the Caribbean, North American and European markets. Agriculture is considered as the cornerstone of most developing countries economy. One of the most realistic and reachable goals in the fight against poverty would be to promote and implement AgroProcessing. The Government of Guyana being cognizant of this fact and having knowledge of the vast potential of this emerging industry continues to implement pertinent initiatives geared at further development. One such initiative is the Guyana Shop which is home to more than 60 Local Agro-Processing Brands. This unique establishment boldly transforms the retail experience becoming Guyana’s only one stop shop for Locally Manufactured Products. Guyana has embarked on an agricultural transformation, placing special emphasis on
Locally produced products shelved in The Guyana Shop
the development and promotion of local value-added products. Our farmers and entrepreneurs are at the center of this transformation. Now by way of the Guyana Shop we now possess a unique opportunity to market the Land of Many Waters as a country with nutritious, high quality value-added agro-processed food, condiments and snacks.
Tortas
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Weddings Anniversaries Birthdays & Others
A memorable cake that is uniquely yours, from the drawing board to the table.
J29-945 Critchlow Street, Tucville, Greater Georgetown, Guyana Contact us on Tel: (592) 231-8286 Mobile: 683-6726 Email: tortas_cake@yahoo.com
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PEPPER - A Priority Commodity
Pepper is an important non-traditional crop that is cultivated in all regions of Guyana. It is utilized in both fresh and processed forms. Some varieties of pepper grown in Guyana are Bell Peppers, Tiger Teeth, Wiri Wiri, Miriwiri, Scotch Bonnet and West Indies Red. Scotch Bonnet and West Indies Red are considered elite among pepper varieties and command premium prices in both local and export markets. In Guyana, yields of pepper range from 17kg/ha to 26000kg/ha. There is tremendous scope for expansion in the production of peppers in Guyana. This is largely influenced by the Agricultural Diversification Strategy undertaken by the Government of Guyana through the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Agricultural Research & Extension Institute. Pepper is a crop of economic importance. In recent times, the export market for both fresh and processed forms of pepper has increased significantly to 2,322 tonnes in 2012. With this increase, much work is being done to improve those varieties that have adapted to our local conditions. To satisfy the export market, high yielding varieties such as the West Indies Red and the Scotch Bonnet Yellow have been introduced.
Conferences
Group Discussions
Symposiums
Training Sessions
Receptions
Business Meetings
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NDIA - Enabling Sustainable Agricultural Growth and Food Security in Guyana The Coastal Plain of Guyana, a narrow strip of land, is home to most of Guyana's population, agriculture and economic activities. This plain, transected with an intricate network of drains and canals is bordered by the Atlantic to the North and the natural topographic rise in land provides our own inland water catchments to the South. Thus, the citizens dwelling on the Low Coastal Plains are under constant threat of flooding. The National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) continues to implement various projects and programmes to maintain, expand and upgrade its 150-year old drainage and irrigation infrastructure to protect the coast so that commerce and lives can grow unhindered and to meet the needs of an expanding agriculture sector in Guyana. Efficient drainage and irrigation services are integral to any form of Guyanese agricultural or economic activities; particularly for our two principal crops, rice and sugar cane. In recent years we have seen that weather patterns are changing, rainfall is increasing, prolonged dry spells and threats are growing. The system must be made to adapt to these and other changes if the lives of Guyanese are not to be disrupted.
To this end, we have been rehabilitating existing drainage structures, channels and pump stations in recent years as well as building new ones where ever possible. Also, we have acquired mobile pumps and earthworks equipment that allows us to respond to emergencies resulting from climate related events as part of the Authority Disaster Preparedness Plan. Among other adaptation projects countrywide. The East Demerara Water Conservancy Northern Relief Channel, one of our main adaptation projects, is nearing completion. It will directly improve the safety standards with respect to flooding for our most populated and largest agricultural areas, Region no's, 4 and 5 respectively. The entire NDIA team is committed to playing our role in sustainable growth in the agricultural sector and to remaining an integral part of the infrastructural network as Guyana continues to grow. Lionel Wordsworth Chief Executive Officer, NDIA
Concrete Pour - EDWC NRC High Level Sluice Outfall Structure
EDWC Northern Relief Channel under Construction
Victoria Pump Station
Dredging the Abary River
EDWC Embankment Maintenance to Preserve Structural Integrity
Waterloo Sluice at Leguan
NATIONAL D�INAGE & IRRIGATION AUTHORITY Ministry of Agriculture Regent & Vlissengen Roads, Georgetown
Switchboard: 226-6655 or 225-5005 Fax: 225-5006 Accounting – Ext 33 or 226-9394 Human Resources/Administration – Ext 32 or 226-0851 Engineering – Ext 27 or 226-9341 Procurement – Ext 24 or 225-8189 Community Drainage & Irrigation Project – Ext 35 or 226-0393 Email: ndiaagriculture@gmail.com
A Perspective from
DOMINICA Dr. Eisenhower Douglas, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Dominica
Food and Nutrition Security stand at the core of Government Policy towards the Agriculture Sector in Dominica; the other core principles are export competitiveness and environmental sustainability. It is intended that this Policy permeate the operations of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MOAF), notably its programmes and projects. Moreover, since over 60% of the population of the country reside in the rural areas (2011 Census) then a successful Agriculture Policy will inevitably redound to the benefit of those communities via stimulating rural development the evidence of which could become manifest by improvements in the ‘Quality of Life’ of the populace. Fortunately, such expected improvements are consistent with findings contained in Country Poverty Assessments (CPAs) undertaken in 2003 and again in 2010, both done under the auspices of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). These studies reveal a reduction in poverty levels on the island from 39% to 28% with the rate of indigence declining from 10% to 3.1% over the same period. During 2012, the data reveal that agricultural production as a percent of GDP increased by 7.5%; this can be interpreted as a positive sign that our efforts … “are bearing fruit”. However, there is no room for complacency since overcoming the challenge to sustain this improvement into the future will be difficult. This conclusion was arrived at against a background for example that primary agricultural exports from Dominica peaked at 103,000 tonnes and EC$ 147 million in 1988 versus agricultural exports of under EC$35 million today. Clearly, the evidence point to the fact that actual output from agriculture is considerably below its potential performance. This outcome is attributable in part to the legacy of globalization, trade liberalization and World Trade Organization (WTO) compatibility confronting Small Island Developing States such as Dominica nowadays as their citizens seek to benefit from participation in the international trade of goods and services. This objective to be pursued in the context of the post-preferences era of today, central to which are the requirements of international
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competitiveness at national level. Indeed, such is the nature of civilized society in the modern world during the first quarter of the 21st century. A review of the food import bill for individual CARICOM countries, whether as it pertains to primary agriculture products and/or agro-processed items, will reveal much similarity in that there exist considerable scope for expansion in output/production at national level. If these opportunities can be converted into intra-regional trade, then the beneficial impact on domestic employment, household income and foreign exchange earnings are inevitable. Furthermore, the capacity to take advantage of opportunities to expand intra-regional trade constituted the raison d’etre for the formation of the Caribbean free Trade Association (CARIFTA) in 1968, an entity which evolved into the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in 1973. Accordingly, here lies the linkage to regional food security as envisaged by the Pioneers of Caribbean Integration. Additionally, such linkage is being complemented by the work of the Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute over the years, and with respect to Dominica, the Food and Nutrition Council; thus moving our people inexorably towards the enabling conditions for … food and nutrition security. So that for example, work is considerably advanced on Dominica’s Food and Nutrition Security Policy which is being prepared in a manner consistent with the Regional Food and Nutrition Security Policy as endorsed by the Council on Trade and Economic Development (COTED) in 2010. Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA) 2013 should therefore serve as a catalyst for converting its THEME into reality, and to do so in a manner consistent with the gains made by that entity over the years in boosting agricultural production, albeit indirectly. In Dominica, the Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry (MOAF) is positioning the country to do just that and thus we would welcome the opportunity to partner with CWA in this endeavour.
7 Colour Flexographic Press Printing of labels and packaging on a wide variety of pressure-sensitive substrates: Gloss, Non-Gloss, BOPP, PET, PE, PVC and PP Plastics and films Inline Die-cutting, UV Coating Waste Stripping, under & over Laminating Pop-up and point-of-sale displays Gift Boxes
PACKAGING INC
Caribbean’s First Aromatic Rice
Queens Atlantic Industrial Estate, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana. Tel: (592) 227-0704, 227-0709, Fax: 225-5621. Email: glblprinting@gmail.com
Smell the Fragrance of Guyana in .... Product of Guyana
Produced by: Guyana Rice Development Board 116-117 Cowan Street, Kingston, Georgetown, Guyana. Tel: (592) 225-8717 Email: grdb@gol.net.gy Website: www.grdb.gy
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RESPONSE TO THE FOOD & NUTRITION SECURITY (FNS) CHALLENGES CONFRONTING THE REGION by Johan David CARICOM Regional Food and Nutrition Security Policy Consultant (Focal Point) Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat
FO O D
In the Caribbean Region, one major challenge facing the agricultural sector is how to attract significant amounts of investment that will have the effect of transforming it into one that is dynamic and forward-looking. For the most part, the availability of capital within the sector is limited and new injections will have to come from outside. In addition, given the risks that are inherent in agricultural production world-wide, governments must play a supportive role in ensuring that private actors are given a certain level of confidence in making their own investments. Farmers and other private investors will invest in agriculture only if the expected returns compensate for the perceived risk and exceed returns from alternative types of investment. The repositioning of the Region’s agriculture therefore calls for a rethinking of both possibilities and methods. The large and diverse groups of farmers and processors have to be helped to realize these possibilities through concrete actions aimed at filling information gaps, training in new technologies, providing facilitating infrastructure, assisting in building strong and sustainable institutions among producers and putting in place on-going useful systems on which producers can rely.
The Jagdeo Initiative to address the key binding constraints to agriculture production and exports, is still a practical instrument to put in motion the Regional Transformation Programme for Agriculture (RTP) and, the Caribbean Community Agriculture Policy. In CARICOM, the vision for the agricultural sector entails a complete transformation towards a market-oriented, internationally competitive and environmentally sound system of production for both agricultural products and services. This vision is encapsulated in the Community Agriculture Policy (CAP).
This well-articulated policy outlines the objectives agreed by the Region for Agriculture. These include: 1. The fundamental transformation of the agricultural sector towards market-oriented, internationally competitive and environmentally sound production of agriculture products 2. Increased production, productivity and world market share 3. Increased diversification of processed agriculture products 4. Improved Food and Nutrition Security
The goal of improved Food and Nutrition Security (FNS) is subsumed under the Regional Food and Nutrition Security Policy 2011- 2025 (RFNSP) that was adopted by the Council of Trade and Economic Development in 2010. The Regional Food and Nutrition Security Action Plan is to implement the CARICOM Regional Food and Nutrition Security Policy and the first plan covers a fifteen-year period from 2012 to 2026. Its development goal of will be pursued
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through four specific food security and nutrition objectives that simultaneously increase agricultural and rural development and reduce poverty. In addressing the food and nutrition security situation more directly, the Regional Food and Nutrition Security Action Plan sets out the framework and envisions a rapid transformation of the regional rural and agricultural sector and its renewal as a vibrant and productive economic sector with an enhanced role and contribution to the regional economy. The sector is envisaged to evolve as an important driving force in expanding livelihood options for rural people, enhancing employment and income opportunities, and improving food security and the nutritional status of people in the CARICOM Member States. The interventions proposed in the RFNSAP take place at both the regional and national levels. Regional level interventions promote the development of synergies across countries by addressing cross-cutting issues and are largely related to institutional and policy development that strengthens the regional investment climate and facilitates strategic alliances. National level interventions included in the RFNSAP are those that will also receive regional level support, such as specific production and institution strengthening projects, and national actions to increase access to sufficient, nutritious and safe foods for foodinsecure and vulnerable households. The framework of the RFNSAP reflects a comprehensive, integrated and flexible approach emphasizing both national and regional level interventions, strategic alliances, and participation of the broadest cross-section of regionally based organizations, including those that are truly representative of the grass roots level. These entities will contribute to the design and implementation of policies and programmes that provide incentives and a framework for addressing both short term vulnerability aspects and longer term growth and sustainability aspects of food and nutrition security. The urgent calls from both the private and public sector, for the effective implementation of the strategy for the transformation of agriculture must be heeded, especially given that the world is facing even tougher times than those experienced when the strategy was conceptualised. Political support behind the agriculture sector in each country is now absolutely necessary in order for the Caribbean achieve its Food and Nutrition Security Goals.
SMALL RUMINANT SECTOR IN GUYANA by the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA)
farms which employ an extensive system with appropriate housing systems; this group only represents approximately 4 % of the population. As our genetic base, the Barbados Black Belly is the main sheep breed found in Guyana. Other breeds include the Corentyne White, Texel, and Dorper. The major goat breeds found in Guyana are the local goat and Boer goat. Sheep, GLDA Farm
Sheep and goats are among the major economically important livestock in Guyana. There are about 130,000 sheep and 79,000 goats in the country, playing an important role in contributing to the household economy and livelihoods of small-scale, resource poor livestock producers. They provide their owners and members of the community with a wide range of products such as meat, milk, manure and to a lesser extent hides. The small ruminant population in Guyana is distributed throughout the coastal regions and savannahs, with regions 5 & 6 having the largest population. Production systems are generally characterized as extensive, small-scale and low-input. They are also some large scale
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To improve the number and quality of small ruminants in Guyana, the Government has commenced a planned commercial cross breeding project that involves the laparoscopic transfer of Texel embryos into Barbados Black Belly ewes to produce a hybrid Texel rams were also used on the Black Belly ewes to produce what is now referred to as the “Texana�. Quality breeding rams are also available for sale at the GLDA Livestock Farm at Mon Repos. The GLDA has now launched a National Goat Enhancement Project with the importation of a nucleus herd of Boer goats for multiplication and sale to local farmers. Small ruminants in Guyana are produced primarily for local meat consumption; however the perfect opportunity exists for the industry to tap into the increased demand for mutton and chevon, which is created by the emerging tourism industry and other regional markets.
Aquaculture by the Fisheries Department
Aquaculture essentially refers to fish farming. This is commonly done by 'growing out' the fish to market weight in earthen ponds; and is known as fresh water aquaculture. However, there is also brackish water culture: persons take advantage of the inflows of high tides as it brings in juveniles and eggs which can be trapped in swamps and sometimes ponds or enclosures. These are then grown to marketable weight. There is also marine culture; this involves culturing fish in the open sea. The most common species used in aquaculture are tilapia (Oreochromis nilotica), tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum - fresh water pacu), and brackish water shrimp (Penaeus subtilis). The Satyadeow Sawh Aquaculture Station (SSAS), Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, functions as a demonstration facility for good aquaculture practices and an aquaculture research facilty. It is also a distribution centre since aquaculture farmers can obtain red tilapia fingerlings, which they can then grow-out to market weight. Apart from providing red tilapia fingerlings to fish farmers, assistance is also available in the form of technical advice. The Fisheries Department recently drafted a Strategic Plan for Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture. These are all part of the efforts to develop the aquaculture sector in Guyana, as it is recognised that aquaculture can contribute to social and economic development.
Tilapia and Hassar
THE NAME YOU CAN TRUST
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