–committee members upset, say approval of sale wholly inappropriate

SOME members of the Coconut Festival and Boat Parade Committee are up in arms after they were outvoted in their bid to make the grand October 16 event alcohol-free.The festival, which Agriculture Minister Noel Holder is expected to address, will feature an exhibition on the benefits and products of coconut; and, on the same day, a boat parade will be held in the Pomeroon River.

But with some two weeks to go before the festival, some members are dissatisfied that various brands of beer will be sold at the educational and informational event.

Committee member and Charity businessman, Nateram Ramnanan, better known as ‘Juice Man’, told the Guyana Chronicle it is wholly inappropriate to be selling beer at an event that school children would be attending.

“The coconut festival should be all about coconut; and if they want a beverage, there will be plenty coconut water there,” he said.

According to Ramnanan, beer and rum stole the attention in the past, when approval was granted for their sale at agricultural exhibitions on the Essequibo Coast.

“It happened at Essequibo Nite and more recently the Essequibo Night of Flavour. The Essequibo Night of Flavour was a failure. There was hardly any attention on the products made in Essequibo. The only product that received a whole lot of attention was rum and alcohol. What should have been an awareness event turned out to be a sporting event,” he said.

The businessman also pointed out that on Monday, market day at Charity, there have been numerous instances of drunken brawls both during and after market.

“Persons drink; some of them fight, some of them get so drunk that they get knocked out and sleep at the corner of the road. Others verbally abuse passersby. The persons who approved the sale of alcohol do not know what they are asking for,” an impassioned Ramnanan said.

The Guyana Chronicle was told that, at the last meeting of the committee, there was a disagreement on the sale of alcohol at the festival and the matter was taken to a vote.

INTOXICATED DECISION
And in the end, two members voted against and four made the “intoxicated” decision to approve the sale of alcohol at the coconut exhibition.

Another committee member, Wasir Mohamed, said some members of the committee were of the view that the sale of beer would help to offset some of the expenses incurred in hosting the festival.

Apart from locals, the festival will feature exhibitors from Brazil, India and Costa Rica. It will showcase bottled coconut water and the process in bottling coconut water; foods made from coconut, such as sugar cake and cook up; products such as coconut oil, buttons, soap, brooms and craft items; the use of coconut husk as fertiliser; and the numerous health benefits to be derived from the coconut, among other things.

The boat parade is being organised by the Ministry of Tourism, in collaboration with the Essequibo Chambers of Commerce and other stakeholders. The Ministry of Tourism intends to use the industry to promote agro-tourism by organising tours on coconut farms, showing how coconut is harvested, and how it is processed.
Heavy focus would also be placed on research, employment, and trade.

The Pomeroon reportedly has the best coconuts in the world. In the Pomeroon alone, there are about 20,000 acres of land that can be cultivated with coconuts, producing an estimated 140 million nuts per year; and at $50 per nut, it is a $7 billion enterprise waiting to be tapped. And this does not include the value-added industry of the coconut, which includes coconut oil, craft, and coconut water.

The worth of the value-added industry is estimated at about $7 billion, most of which can come from the sale of coconut water.

GROWING DEMAND
It is estimated that the demand for coconut water grows at between 50 and 100 per cent annually. Globally, the coconut water industry is worth one billion US dollars, and the product is on its way to becoming the world’s most popular drink.

According to The WaterPage.Com, coconut water increases rehydration, boosts the immune system, decreases heat stroke, increases blood circulation in diabetics, and is important in anti-aging treatments.
Moreover, coconut water is a rich source of vitamins and minerals.

Locally, some 60,000 acres of land are under coconut cultivation; and in terms of its status as a priority agricultural crop, coconut ranks third in importance, behind rice and sugar.

About half of the coconuts produced locally are exported to The Dominican Republic, but these are mainly dried nuts.

In light of the threat of global warming, coconut stands out as a climate-resistant crop, and can be a more-than-useful product to brace farmers during hard times.

The organisers of the festival intend to make Pomeroon the coconut capital of Guyana, and coconut water the national drink.