COCONUT farmers and other stakeholders in the industry are to benefit from training programmes under a bilateral agreement between the Governments of Guyana and Mexico with support from the Inter- American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).The training aims at equipping coconut farmers to revitalize the industry and move it towards its full potential, it was disclosed yesterday.

The resource persons are two experts from the Mexican National Institute of Research on Forestry, Agriculture and Livestock (INIFAP), namely Ms. Matilde Cortazar Rios and Mr. Irving Manuel Fuentes Del Angel.
There was a formal launch of the first of a series of the training programmes in the auditorium of the Guyana School of Agriculture at Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara .
But the bulk of the training will be done at the facilities of the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), also at Mon Repos.
The formal launch yesterday was attended by Dr. Gabriel Ferrer Ortega, Charge d’ affaires of the Embassy of Mexico, Mr. Wilmot Garnett IICA representative in Guyana , Mr. Reuben Hamilton Robertson Country Representative of the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), Mr. George Jarvis, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Chief Executive Officer of NAREI, Dr. Oudho Homenauth, and several senior agricultural officers, technicians and farmers and producers.
In opening remarks Dr Homenauth disclosed that the work by SAGARPA was part of an ongoing coconut revitalization programme for Guyana.
He stressed that the NAREI and by extension the Government of Guyana was emphasising coconut as an industry and not as a single commodity like coconut water or dried coconut.
“We are looking at all aspects of value whether it is charcoal or coconut powder, etc., as well as the value-added commodities, where Guyana could have a competitive advantage against others in the Caribbean region that are involved in value-added production,” he said.
Charge d’affaires Dr Ferrer said that bilateral relations between Guyana and Mexico, established in March 1973, have been strengthened with the many cooperation projects that have been ongoing between the two countries since then.
“Ultimately, renowned international organizations such as IICA have partnered to further develop the cooperation at the bilateral and regional level.”
He said that he was certain that the training programme on coconut will be of great interest and benefit to Guyana.
IICA Representative Wilmot Garnett said that the specialized training being offered to Guyanese farmers and technicians was a testament to the increased collaboration between the Mexican Government, the Ministry of Agriculture through NAREI and IICA.
He remarked that the training being offered will re-enforce the need to inject new technologies, build a genetically diverse plant stock, increase competitiveness and a sustainable coconut industry.
Permanent Secretary Mr Jervis described the training as an initiative to give the coconut industry the importance it deserves.
He said: “ We need to move the industry from the ad hoc basis that we currently have, to one of international standards. We need to give coconuts the same attention that we give to rice and sugar.”
He said that the programme by the Mexican experts will go a long way towards giving the industry the attention and prominence it deserves.
The first training programme ends tomorrow.

By Clifford Stanley