AS Agriculture Month 2015 is being observed, focus is being placed on widespread training and diversification in this sector, and President David Granger yesterday told the Guyana Chronicle that agriculture has a bright future.“I see a bright future for agriculture; I see a bright future for agriculture education; I see a bright future for the employment of young people in agriculture,” the president said.
AGRICULTURAL INSTITUTE
His vision for the sector is broad, noting that before he became president, he had promised to establish agricultural institutes. He hopes that at least one institute could be opened before the end of 2017.
“This is because I believe when young people leave school, and particularly children in the hinterland, they must be given the type of training which is relevant to life in their regions, villages and communities,” President Granger said.
“This would prevent them from having to drift across the border to Brazil or Venezuela or even in the gold field,” he added.
He believes that there must be more widespread and intense training of young school-leavers in agriculture.
“I would like to see a lot more agro-processing; that is, people must produce commodities which could be processed,” the president said. “I see agro-processing as being a natural way of improving household income, for people of all ages.”

‘SIX SISTERS’
But above all, the president stressed the need to diversify the ‘six sisters’, namely, rice, sugar, gold, diamond, bauxite and timber. “We have great potential, and through CSME,” he said, stressing that Guyana could produce fruit needed by the hospitality industry in the Caribbean especially.
He said islands such as Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, Barbados, and the Windward and Leeward Islands could benefit significantly from Guyana as those countries have established hospitality industries.
“We could produce every pineapple, avocado that they need in those hotels,” the president told the Guyana Chronicle yesterday.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister, Noel Holder has called for there to be a multi-faceted approach to addressing issues plaguing the sector.
At an inter-faith service held at the ministry’s Regent Road Office yesterday, Holder said resolving the issues affecting the sector are critical to its success. He said technology is also of importance. “I also ask that we expose ourselves to the technological era by balancing our traditional organic values that characterise Guyanese agriculture,” the minister said.
Additionally, the ministry is focusing on rural poverty, environmentally friendly production and farmers. The theme for Agriculture Month, “Exploiting our strengths, advancing agriculture and social protections”, Holder said, will highlight the many reforms in the sector aimed at establishing new frontiers.
Holder believes that this year’s observance of Agriculture Month will see Guyana positioned to increase more environmentally friendly activities – one such activity is the National Tree Planting exercise which took place in Bartica on Saturday.
“We are making good use of our durability to work out the challenges identified in social protection and agriculture,” he said, adding that over the same geographic space, there are opportunities, facilities and complementarities that will strengthen the livelihoods of poor rural households.
Additionally, the ministry’s agricultural policies focus on “improving productivity in crops, fisheries and livestock” while providing access to markets near and far.
“I also wish to reiterate our government’s commitment …one of our main priorities is to ensure that we continue to extract food and nutrition security by ensuring that Guyana is on par with the objectives of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) especially goal two, zero hunger.”
Holder encouraged all to “undertake actions aimed at eating what we produce” so that citizens can lead an active, healthy lifestyle. Agriculture, the minister stressed, is important to Guyana’s economy and farmers have made a “sterling” contribution over the years to the sector and economy as a whole.

By Ariana Gordon