The farming world is the landscape that encapsulates our history; the broadest, deepest parameters of our survival in every context; the infrastructure of our social fabric; and the basis of our economy.

Plants are the lungs of the world, and their fruits provide nutritional and medicinal sustenance for every species of animal – either directly or indirectly.

The creator blessed this country with lush rainforests and unique, multitudinous species of flora and fauna; and Guyana’s food producers have converted this abundance into a plethora of products that add significantly to the world’s food chain.

Farmers feed the world, they clothe the world and, even if indirectly, they house the world; but in a large measure they are unappreciated and neglected.

Farmers feed the world, they clothe the world and, even if indirectly, they house the world; but in a large measure they are unappreciated and neglected. Farming is not generally conducive to wealth-creation as it is currently managed by world leaders, who almost always put farmers on the back burner when it comes to prioritising support for industries in a global context; and even – especially within nation states.

The UN committed to ‘halving’ hunger by 2015, at a time when there was an estimated 800 million hungry people across the globe. Today the estimates are graphed at an approximate 854 million, which is about 17% of the world’s

population. Despite the UN’s promises, world hunger is inexorably increasing.

God has provided abundantly for mankind, but world leaders are directly responsible for laying waste the Lord’s bounty. They are culpable for every man, woman, or child who dies of hunger. World leaders are, to misquote, “beating their ploughshares into swords.”

If farmers are empowered and supported, world hunger will automatically be eradicated as a natural consequence, which will hallmark the attainment of one of the primary Millennium Developmental Goals (MDGs).

The free-market system and the imperative of maintaining the integrity of our international protocols – especially not compromising WTO-compatibility because of the sword of Damocles of trading sanctions levied against our export commodities, which Guyana can ill-afford, constrains our Government in the granting of subsidies to farmers.

However, the support to the agricultural sector has been sustained and has been reflected in budgetary allocations.

Because of dramatic recession that has impacted on third-world economies the price of rice, one of our major agricultural exports, which contributes significantly to agriculture GDP, has plummeted on the world marketplace, which is creating insecurities in the industry. Sadly, the distress to farmers has been exacerbated by political opportunists and propagandists who have been peddling misinformation and outright lies to the farmers.

At a press conference, held at the Tower Hotel on Wednesday, 4th March 2009, General-Secretary of the RPA, Mr. Dharamkumar Seeraj, outlined the variables contributing to the decline of paddy prices. At that and other fora he also spoke of the many interventions the Government has made to minimise cost of inputs and other overheads in the production of the commodity, which include, inter alia, 1) waiver of CET on fertilizer imports; 2) reduction of C-tax/excise on fuel; 3) waiver in D&I rates in specific areas for 2007; 4) exemption from VAT of fertilizers, pesticides, harrows, ploughs, and other machinery used in rice cultivation and production.

D & I structures and facilitating mechanisms are being attended to nationwide on a continuous basis.

The RPA constantly lobbies for protection of farmers, and the Government has proven itself very receptive, and has made the many interventions over the years to protect/empower the farmers.

In efforts to provide farmers with alternative incomes Government has been supporting farmers in diversification initiatives with training, the supply of livestock, and the provision of infrastructural mechanisms, such as the RPA’s experimental integrated rice/fish project at Crane in Region 3.

Infrastructural development is being ramped up, and in view of the decelerating prices being offered for paddy, the Government has invested millions to sustain the viability of the industry during times of crisis, until the dynamics in the industry stabilised to make rice production profitable once more.

Even bankers have been amenable to flexible configurations that are not punitive to farmers who have been affected by the dynamics of climate change and other natural and external factors.

GRDB’s Jagnarine Singh said that the Burma Rice Research Station has boosted production and continually test new lines and engage in other areas of research in efforts to discover new strains of rice that could withstand the variables that detrimentally affect rice cultivation.

No PPP Government has ever abandoned the farming community and the continuum of support and interventions provided to the agriculture sector has assured farmers that Government will continue to address their concerns and has alleviated their fears, which have been fuelled by divisive elements pursuing their own nefarious agendas.

Guyana’s food security is assured at all times, because the Government is prepared to support its agricultural sector to the optimum.