Agriculture Supplement 16-10-2019

GUYANA CHRONICLE - AGRICULTURE SUPPLEMENT - Wednesday, October 16, 2019 A

GUYANA CHRONICLE WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 16, 2019

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GUYANA CHRONICLE - AGRICULTURE SUPPLEMENT - Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Mid- Year Report on the Agriculture Sector

Rice industry grew by 3.7% I n the first half of 2019, the rice industry grew by an estimated 3.7 percent- an increase that was due to improvements in both the number of hectares harvested and the yield.

The former grew by 1.5 percent to reach 87,681 hectares at the end of June 2019. There were notable increases in hectares harvested in Regions 4, 5 and 6, which offset contractions in Regions 2, 3 and 9. The first crop yield averaged 6 metric tonnes per hectare in 2019, the highest yield ever, in addition to being 2.1 percent above the previous year.

This improvement was due to several factors, including adoption of improved paddy varieties and practices primarily by farmers in Region 6, where yields grew by 16.9 percent, on average, despite the threat of paddy bug infestation. While sowing for the second crop continued into July, early indications suggest that the sector is on track to meet the production target identified at the time of Budget 2019. The Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) has deployed officers to work with farmers to contain the paddy bug threat and ensure that this target is achieved.

Other Crops

The other crops subsector is estimated to have grown by 4.8 percent in the first half of 2019, faster than the revised rate of 4.6 percent for the first half of 2018. This was driven by increased production of root crops, spices and vegetables, which expanded by 1.5 percent, 4.1 percent, and 1.2 percent, respectively. Bitter cassava and yam production were responsible for the increase in root crops, while pepper, celery and ginger production drove the increase in spices. The production of many of the traditional vegetables was higher in the first half of 2019, but there was also notable expansion in the production of non-traditional vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower. The subsector is expected to grow by 4 percent in 2019, as originally projected.

Livestock

The livestock subsector, which recorded remarkable growth in 2018, is estimated to have contracted by 8.1 percent, in the first half of 2019. This was as a result of a decline in broiler meat production and, to a lesser extent, milk production, which fell by 8.2 percent and 1.6 percent, respectively. The contraction in the former was due to a supply imbalance of a large producer, who reduced output so as to run down stocks. Subsequently, there has been a shortage in the supply of chicken on the local market, and efforts to address this have been hampered by poor hatchability of eggs and the stunted growth of chickens. Beef and pork production continued to make steady gains, growing by an estimated 37.6 percent and 40.9 percent, respectively.

This was on account of the ongoing artificial insemination and training programmes, which have helped to improve animal productivity, as well as an increased number of farmers involved in animal production. The output of table eggs also benefited from more farmers becoming involved in this activity, which has increased the national laying flock. In the first half of 2019, imports of layer chicks and eggs grew by 25 percent and 186.7 percent, respectively, to reach 45,000 chicks and 129,000 eggs.

At the same time, many birds are currently in the laying stage, which has resulted in production rising by 51.4 percent, at the end of the first half. The livestock subsector is expected to grow by 0.7 percent in 2019, with the expectation that the supply of broiler meat will expand in the second half, as private producers take corrective action to meet the current shortfall in the market.

Despite this expected increase in production in the second

half of 2019, the anticipated outturn is 1.6 percentage points lower than projected in Budget 2019.

Fishing

The fishing subsector faced significant challenges in the first half of 2019, as reflected in the estimated contraction of 12.2 percent. The invasion of the sargassum weed, which provides a habitat and source of food for many aquatic species, has proven disruptive to fisherfolk across the Caribbean. In Guyana, the shrimp subsector has been particularly hard hit by the current invasion, with total shrimp production declining by 36 percent, at the end of the first half of 2019. While the number of vessels harvesting prawns has fallen to 45 percent of the fleet, in the first half of 2019, there has been an increase in the vessels targeting red snapper, which has resulted in a 63.3 percent increase in the production of this species at the end of the first half of 2019. Artisanal fishermen have also realised significant gains, with their catch of finfish growing by 10.8 percent at the end of the first half. However, these gains were offset by declines in production in the industrial finfish and tuna categories, which resulted in overall growth in finfish production of 1.4 percent. Based on the outturn at the half-year, the growth rate for the fishing sector has been revised downwards.

Forestry

The forestry subsector is estimated to have grown at the half-year, for a second consecutive year, with the production of timber (which includes logs, roundwood, primary lumber, splitwood and fuelwood) rising 7.8 percent above the level achieved at the end of June 2018. This pushed growth in the sector to 8.5 percent in the first half of 2019. The improvements to interior roads in the latter half of 2018, saw community loggers, particularly in Region 10, realising higher production levels in the first quarter of 2019. Production continued to surge, driven by small scale concessions and community forestry operators. At the end of the first half, log production grew by 6.8 percent, mainly on account of the increased extraction of greenheart logs to meet local demand.

On the other hand, weaker international demand for roundwood resulted in a contraction of this category in the second quarter, which resulted in a 2.6 percent decline relative to the previous half-year.

Primary lumber producers recorded gains of 32.4 percent in the first half, capitalising on increased local demand for construction. The outlook for the remainder of the year remains positive for this subsector, with log production expected to remain high and roundwood to stabilise. Given these factors, the forestry sector is conservatively expected to expand by 5 percent, 3.1 percentage points above the projection in Budget 2019.

GUYANA CHRONICLE - AGRICULTURE SUPPLEMENT - Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Oil revenues to propel agriculture sector …President says food products will remain mainstay of economy

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RESIDENT David Granger, has emphasised the importance of this country remaining food-secure and he has committed to utilising revenues from oil to fuel the agriculture sector.

The President made this commitment last week when he addressed hundreds at the National Tree Day exercise at Number 53 Village – Union Sports and Cultural Complex in East Berbice, Corentyne.

The Head of State, while expressing confidence in returning to office following National Elections on March 2, 2020, stated that the coalition government will utilise funds from oil revenues to boost other sectors, especially agriculture. “Food Products not fuel products will remain the mainstay of our economy.

Petroleum revenues are welcomed but will be deployed to modernise the agriculture and other sectors of development,” the Guyanese leader told the gathering.

While noting that East Ber-

bice alone can supply the entire eastern Caribbean with enough food through its abundance of fertile lands, President Granger pointed to agro-processing to add value and making this a reality.“Agro processing can add value to our primary products and help this country and this region to be more prosperous.

Tree based agro processing can ensure greater food security by increasing our exports and adding more value to our food production while reducing market uncertainties associated with primary produce.”

The Head of State noted that Guyana exported US$8M in fruits and vegetables in 2018. This figure, he stressed, is well below the potential that Guyana has to offer and based on economists’ calculations, with a more robust agro-processing programmer, that figure should be somewhere around US$250M annually instead.

“We can be exporting more in agricultural produce than rice and sugar in value. We are talking about a new chapter in our hinterland and rural

economies. We can go more robustly in the packaging and bottling of foods and drinks using modern equipment on a large scale. That is one of the elements in our policy to ensure food security by reducing food imports and increasing exports particularly in processed form,” President Granger said.

The President said to help achieve this objective, the government will be offering financial incentives to investors that are interested in promoting export-oriented agro-processing, as it has the potential to transform the entire economy.

“It improves food security by stimulating increased demand for food production by reducing crop losses due to spoilage. But most of all it would improve and increase farmers income and we could employ more of our young people and reduce poverty in our villages. ” He continued, “Agro-pro-

being imported from another country.

The President stated that his government will launch a Decade of Development in 2020. He stated that agro-processing plays a critical role in that development of t the g a‘Green cessing gawhich State rinthe e th the has A thesepotential mee n t Stratction of toree DDaey veexleorcpis T transform onaland Natirural hinterland communities and to augment the national product.

When value is added to the primary production, the export value is increased, exports are stimulated and foreign exchange is generated.”

President Granger stated that the need for agro-processing on a larger scale cannot be underscored enough as it has the potential to start a revolution where products that would have otherwise gone to waste will now become a source of income. He made reference to fruits in different communities that are left to rot while in other communities that same fruit is

egy’ is also a key res component.PThat iden s t r a t e g y, hw e t Dav said, is the aters a id Gran plan ger roadt

map to making Guyana a ‘green’ state as well as the roadmap to food security. “Next year

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we know petroleum will start to flow but don’t let us get drunk on oil, let us remain sober because we want to make sure during that decade of development every section, every sector, every segment of our economy and society will benefit from economic development.

The objective of the Decade of Development is not to share out oil money, it is to make Guyana economically reliable and self-sufficient.

So Guyanese you can look forward to this decade of Development which will lay the foundation for sustained progress and prosperity but also a decade that will be based on agricultural development.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE - AGRICULTURE SUPPLEMENT - Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Agriculture Month message

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he Ministry of Agriculture has been pursuing interventions to ensure food security for all, specifically, access to safe food throughout the country, with a view to maintaining a healthy and productive population. With the passing of the Food Safety and Animal Welfare Bills, the activation of such practices within Guyana will ensure that the country is a benefactor in securing external markets for its agricultural products, and safeguarding our own food supply.

Agriculture Month 2019 is being held under the theme ‘‘Sustainable Agriculture for ensuring Food Safety and a Green Economy”.

As a government, we are focused on the oversight required to regulate the food ecosystem. As such, we have embarked on the operationalization of the Food Safety Authority. Allocating greater technical and financial support towards establishing an institution designed to coordinate the food safety system in Guyana. To give life to this vision, and by ensuring food safety through monitoring the use, patterns and practices of chemicals by examining pesticides residues in agricultural produce, the Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Board (PTCCB) will commission the Pesticides Laboratory on October 25, 2019.

Climate change is threatening to destroy our agriculture potential. To sustainably increase agriculture’s productivity and the income of farmers, the Climate Smart Agriculture Project will be launched in regions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 and 10 to provide opportunities for farmers and community groups to establish new, or to scale-up, existing shade houses. The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) in collaboration with the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) will provide technical support, monitoring and evaluation, and marketing support.

Funding is from the Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF) of the Ministry of Finance.

The Rural Affairs Secretariat, spearheaded by Minister Adams-Yearwood have been and will continue to place significant emphasis on youths and women in agriculture. Specifically, promoting and encouraging their involvement in agriculture. Therefore, many of our agriculture agencies will be participating in educational sessions to promote agricultural programs and build positive images of agriculture among youths, these will include, school visits, school tours, career days and working to revitalizing

school farms. Additionally we have tailored activities for the elderly and persons living with disabilities, with specially crafted field schools, called “Agri-Cursion” and “Agri-Ability’ to be held on October 1 and October 9, respectively. These will offer training in various areas in agriculture to encourage sustainability within these groups We will join the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization on October 16 to celebrate World Food Day under the theme, “Our Actions are our future, Healthy Diets for a #ZeroHungerWorld,” at La Bonne Intention Agricultural Complex (LBI). A day when we will reinforce our commitment to ‘Safe food and healthy diets’. The importance of food safety in achieving better human nutrition through healthy nutritious diets cannot be reiterated enough. For healthy diets we must improve food safety.

Hon. Noel Holder M.P Many Governments have made food safety a public priority. A paradigm Minister of Agriculture shift in the approach to food safety is required starting from our farms and ending at the dining table. One activity to promote food security is the kitchen garden initiative of the Rural Affairs Secretariat of the Ministry of Agriculture. Growing what we eat promotes food security by adding to a healthy diet. During October 18 and 19, 2019 we will unveil the MOA’s Kitchen Garden Competition at the Regional Agricultural and Commercial Exhibition (RACE) in Region 9.

Some annual activities that have become synonymous with Agriculture Month will continue. These include the National Tree Day; Open Days at the Rice Research Station at Burma, at Agricultural Road Mon Repos and MMA/ADA; NAREI’s Annual Research Conference; the Ministry of Agriculture’s Healthy Cook-Off Competition; the GLDA Ambulatory and Community Outreaches across the Regions; NAREI’s Farmers’ Career Day; and the GMC Farmers and Agro-Processors’ Market Day, are just a few.

Notably, the Hydrometerological Service will commission its Water Quality Laboratory and also an Automatic Weather Station at St. Cuthbert’s Mission; the Ministry’s Fisheries Department will receive the Management Plan for the Artisanal Sector 2019- 2024 from the World Wildlife Fund. The Ministry of Agriculture’s team looks forward to collaborating with our colleagues and stakeholders in the planned activities. Let us participate together for a productive and Hon. Valerie Adams-Yearwood successful Agriculture Month 2019.

M.P, Minister within the Ministry of Agriculture

GUYANA CHRONICLE - AGRICULTURE SUPPLEMENT - Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Gov’t to accelerate growth in agriculture sector

By Navendra Seoraj

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O V E R N M E N T, through the Ministry of Agriculture, will be accelerating efforts to achieve growth in the agriculture sector in 2020 and beyond.

This is according to Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder.

“This is an inspirational time for transformational change…

We need to continue working as one nation; the ministry will be accelerating efforts to achieve growth in 2020 and beyond,” Minister Holder told a gathering at the launch of Agriculture Month.

Going forward, the Agriculture Ministry will be placing significant focus on food safety and food and nutrition security.

“We have a responsibility to feed our nation, while being a food-secure nation… We were blessed with all the resources

to achieve both food and nutrition security,” Minister Holder said, adding that the requirements for food safety get higher each year.

Although there are many challenges to achieving food security, he said, if agriculture plays a central role in the “green” economy, the country can get closer to achieving the long-overdue international goal of eradicating hunger.

According to the United Nations (UN), there is no food security without food safety. In a world where the food supply chain has become more complex, any adverse food-safety incident may have global negative effects on public health, trade and the economy.

The global burden of food-borne diseases is considerable, the UN says, in that it affects individuals of all ages, in particular children under five years of age and persons living in low-income regions of the world.

This being the case, Minister Holder feels that Guyana not only needs to look at how to produce the food needed for consumption, but also how to eat healthily, and how to live on a sustainable planet at a time when not just Guyana, but the

--food safety high on the agenda world is facing the negative effects of climate change and the loss of biodiversity.

He believes that the systematic issues related to climate change are not unique to Guyana, but they are international issues which are being addressed through the UN-led Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“Those goals include Goal 12, which is the sustainable production and consumption of food,” said the minister.

Government has

already taken steps towards achieving that goal by promoting food safety and food security in Guyana. Among those steps was the passage of the Food Safety Bill in the National Assembly during May 2019.

One of the strategies aligned with the Bill was the operationalisation of a Food Safety Authority. The government has been allocating greater technical and financial support towards the establishment of the Authority,

which would coordinate food safety in Guyana.

“The Food Safety Authority will play a pivotal role in developing policies and a regulatory framework, and establishing and implementing effective food-safety systems that ensure that food producers and suppliers along the whole food chain operate responsibly and supply safe food to consumers,” Minister Holder said.

The Food Safety Authority will be responsible for ensuring that all agricultural produce, whether produced locally or imported,

Some of the items displayed during the launch of the expo (Samuel Maughn photo)

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Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder addressing the audience at an inter-faith service on Sunday

are of the highest quality; are produced under the strictest hygienic conditions; and are not capable of causing harm to the consumer.

With these systems in place, Guyana will see its food-safety requirements meeting internationally-acceptable standards, thereby opening up both regional and international markets for locally-grown produce, while also ensuring that not only the best, but a greater variety of raw products, are available for local agro-processors.

Minister Holder said government intends speaking more about the importance of food safety during the celebration of World Food Day today.

World Food Safety Day is being celebrated this year under the theme, ‘Our actions are our future; healthy diets for a zero-hunger world’.

“On this day,” Minister Holder said, “we will reinforce our commitment to safe food and healthy diets and the importance of food safety.”

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Minister Trotman, students plant trees

from the Ministry of Natural resources said. He explained that all trees stand as a source of sustenance to us and by planting them we reap the benefits directly. Minister Trotman and the students planted cherry, soursop, mango and pomegranate trees.

Further, Minister Trotman, in maintaining his commitment to residents at an outMinister of Natural Resources reach in May of 2019, Raphael Trotman visited a potential s the Nation obcommunity sandpit. served National He listened to the residents Tree Day 2019, as they explained the vision the Minister of for the pit, and noted the Natural Resources Ra- immense benefits it would phael Trotman on Octo- bring to the community. In ber 11th, 2019, visited the this regard, Minister TrotJudy’s School of New Be- man has committed to ginnings in Red Village, assisting to ensure that Onderneeming Essequibo the Red Village residents to conduct a tree planting benefits from this. exercise.

Minister Trotman also The minister, prior to took the time to interact with the exercise interacted with residents of the the students of the school, village, hearing explaining the importance of their issues, of trees, and their preserva- a n d h o w tion to help us live, a release

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GUYANA CHRONICLE - AGRICULTURE SUPPLEMENT - Wednesday, October 16, 2019

collaborative efforts could be made to assist.

Finally, before his departure, the Minister also made a donation of solar lights and vegetable plants to the community. Another promise he made during the May outreach activity. The residents were pleased to have been able to interact with the Minister and applauded his efforts in sustaining biodiversity and ensuring that the area’s natural resources are sustainably used to the benefit of residents.

The Minister happy to assist the residents of Red Village and maintains his commitment to them as the Nation rises from potential to prosperity.

Public Affairs and Communications Unit (PAU) Ministry of Natural Resources 96 Duke Street, Kingston, Georgetown Tel: 231-2519

GUYANA CHRONICLE - AGRICULTURE SUPPLEMENT - Wednesday, October 16, 2019

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Guyana’s rice capturing more attention

ICE is the staple food for more than half the world’s population. It contributes to food security and the health of our nation, and, in spite of many commercial options, scores still rely on agriculture, specifically rice, for their income.

On Thursday, the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) once again hosted its ‘Open Day’ at the Rice Research Station in Mahaicony. The event also saw booths displaying several research projects being undertaken by the Centre.

In his keynote address, Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder highlighted that the average rice yields have constantly been growing in Guyana. According to the Agriculture Minister, such an achievement in the sector demonstrates the government’s dedication to seeing it grow from strength to

the Board has established offices in Regions Two(Pomeroon-Supenaam), Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), and Five (Mahaica-Berbice), which also

value-chain assessment to the rice sector.

Before the formal ceremony, the Minister of Agriculture, dignitaries from government agencies and

Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder pays keen attention to what a researcher is doing

One of the booths displaying its produce at the ‘Open Day’ exercise

strength.

“It is due to the government’s commitment to the overall expansion of the industry, and specifically to our investments in research and development,” he said, adding: “The improved agronomic practices for rice cultivation being transferred to farmers by the extension programme that works closely with the researchers are also contributing factors.”

Minister Holder said that the GRDB annually expends some $372M on executing initiatives at the Rice Research Station.

During his presentation, Chairman of the Board of Directors Claude Housty underscored that rice research is the avenue through which new technology was made available to the rice sector, on a continuous basis, to sustain its competitiveness.

GRDB General Manager Nizam Hassan, while addressing the gathering, said

provide services to Regions Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo). He said research has been conducted in Plant Breeding, Agronomy, Entomology, Pathology and Post-Harvest and Value addition. All the services provided

by GRDB, he said, are aimed at further developing the rice industry.

According to Hassan, among the GRDB’s plans for the sector is to implement a project titled, “Strengthening the rice production monitoring system in Guyana, and investigating value-chain opportunities”. The two-year initiative, he noted, will be a joint undertaking of the Government of Guyana (GoG) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The project is expected to design, upgrade and digitise the system and methodology to monitor rice production throughout Guyana, and to implement a

the private sector, along with students, were privileged to tour some of the testing fields at the station to see the works being done by the researchers.

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an Act of Parliament, the GRDB seeks to develop the rice industry, and to promote the expansion of the export trade in the said industry. The GRDB also

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establishes facilities to conduct research relating to rice, and extending to rice, through an established system, the benefits derived from the research. (DPI)

Students being given a tour of the facility by one of the researchers during the ‘Open Day’ exercise

One of the many booths at the ‘Open Day’ exercise

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GUYANA CHRONICLE - AGRICULTURE SUPPLEMENT - Wednesday, October 16, 2019

GRDB piloting rice demonstration projects in Rupununi villages

IVEN the challenge farmers in the Rupununi face in cultivating cassava, particularly during the long dry season, the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) has commenced a rice demonstration project aimed at supplementing their cassava production.

The project was piloted in two villages, Moco Moco and Quarrie, both in Central Rupununi. According to the GRDB’s Rice and Beans Coordinator stationed in St Ignatius, Wilfree NCinroy, it was the Toshaos from the villages who requested assistance with the cultivation of a supplement staple. “These Toshaos approached us and said they wanted to produce some rice in the village, so we took on the challenge,” he said. “It is a demonstration where we enlighten people about planting rice. We are not the ones that will benefit; they will benefit.

We are doing it to help them.”

In Shulinab, there is currently two acres of 36-day-old rice cultivation, while in Quarrie, there is one acre of 44-day-old cultivation. The grade of rice being cultivated is the GRDB 15 and the GRDB 10. Quarrie’s Senior Counsel, Phillip Barreto, expressed appreciation for the project coming to his small village. “We have an acre-plus of rice cultivation there now.

At the first try, we saw this could be done, so it is like an experience for us. And I want to believe this will help in our staple food; it will help the cassava, because, normally, we only use the cassava as a staple diet, and we see now the rice will come in. And we are hoping next year we will have a bigger production; and I am seeing that happening,” the SC posited.

NCinroy related that the GRDB is currently testing the soil in other villages to ascertain whether it is rice cultivation-friendly, as there are plans to expand the demonstration project in other villages in the Rupununi. Prior to this project, rice was only cultivated in Moco Moco and Santa Fe, in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).

The agricultural officials affirmed that rice consumption has increased in the Rupununi; hence, there is an increase in rice being imported into the region from the coastland, and even from Brazil. With Rupununi upping its rice production, this is expected to have a domino effect on the development of the agricultural sector in the region. In addition to rice, the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) has commenced a breadfruit project in the region as another supplement staple for villagers.

With climate change, the Rupununi is experiencing sporadic climate conditions, with the dry season lasting longer than it used to. Back in 2015, residents said, there was no rainfall for the entire year. Cultivation of critical crops has decreased, and efforts are being made to tackle this. In addition to the above-mentioned projects, the Ministry of Agriculture has also commenced a water catchment project to assist farmers in the dry season.

Several villages have already benefitted from this intervention; among them Rupertee, Quarrie, Annai, Massarra and Toka.

The rice demonstration project in Moco Moco