By Vanessa Braithwaite
REGION 10 buys more than 80 per cent of the agricultural produce it consumes, and this comes mainly from Region 4, in that most of its market vendors who sell agricultural produce travel to Georgetown approximately twice weekly to purchase stocks.Moreover, about eight or nine trucks filled with vegetables, fruits and ground provisions travel to Linden and other Region 10 communities on several days over a week to do business.
This sad reality has been ongoing for decades, as there has never been a driving force behind agricultural production in Linden. The few pockets of farmers who brave the high competition for patronage have not been given maximum support by the residents of Region 10 or by the persons in authority.
These farmers hail mainly from small settlements located down the Demerara River. What they find most challenging to their survival is the difficulty to transport their produce to the market, and then being faced with tremendous competition for patronage, especially from extra-regional vendors. This has caused a decrease in agricultural activities, not only in Linden but in Region 10 as a whole.
One determining factor to this failure is that an agricultural programme has not been added to the four programmes that the Regional Council advances.
There is currently a programme responsible for education, one for health, one for public works, and another for administration; but there has never ever been one for agriculture.
“With implementation of an agricultural programme, Region 10 can see an upsurge in agricultural activities which will secure jobs and make cheaper agricultural produce available on the market,” attested Region 10 Chairman Renis Morian.
In recognition and agreement with the Minister of Finance, whose budget speech advocated increases in agricultural activities to benefit the environment and boost its economy, Region 10 has created an Agricultural Committee which has been mandated to create a network among farmers in the region, rather than focus on those from outside the region. Farmers from areas such as Moblissa, Blue Berry Hill, Victory Valley and Amelia’s Ward, among other places, have been targeted for enlistment with this Agricultural Committee.
An agricultural seminar was recently held by the Region 10 Farmers’ Committee, and all the region’s farmers benefited from advice and recommendations from international agriculturists, and were provided with the same amount of seeds which were used for testing to ascertain the levels of output possible.
The farmers have embraced this initiative of the Regional Council, and are working in harmony with them to reach the goal of supplying Region 10 entirely with produce grown within the region.
In addition, Partners for The Americas undertook a project to grant structural and technical assistance to persons in Region 10 who have an interest in agriculture, to enable them to earn incomes by expanding their farming activities; and this has enabled the establishment of 22 shade houses across Linden.
With these steps having been taken, Region 10 may soon be identified as the hub of agriculture in Guyana. Lindeners are urged to support their local farmers, rather than patronise farmers coming from other regions to do business with them. When local farmers are supported, the region
as a whole will benefit.