The Guyana Agricultural Producers Association (GAPA), a non-governmental and non-profit entity, the secretariat of which is located at 18 Brickdam, Georgetown, has chapters in all other regions which facilitates easy access by farmers across the country.

GAPA has been in existence since 1974 serving the farming community, but its activities were forced into decline because of the correlating decline of the agricultural sector. However, because of the dynamic agricultural thrust of this administration driven by the Jagdeo Initiative on Agriculture, the organisation was re-established in 2008 to better serve and provide for the non-traditional agricultural farmers within Guyana, including the Hinterlands areas, which are served through the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs.

The principal role of this body is to advocate for new policy changes in order to make the business environment transparent and predictable for all farmers to ply their trade. In addition, GAPA is working in conjunction with the social sector by playing a pivotal role in alleviating poverty in rural areas, in collaboration and with assistance from various ongoing projects within Guyana.

The farmers’ voice cannot be heard to optimum decibels without a farmers’ organisation, because there is vocal and representational strength in numbers. It has long been proven that individuals approaching government have less power than a group of farmers approaching government as a united farmers’ organisation, and the collective voices of farmers have more stridency and credibility, which can be used to engage the policymakers in sensible dialogue on issues that affect them.

In this regard, members of GAPA are assisted in skills improvement in the areas of management, decision-making, communication, leadership and group dynamics so that members are better able to participate in network activities that will eventually propel them out of subsistence farming to producing in volumes and meeting the various criteria for the export market.

GAPA has affiliation with Ministry of Agriculture and its agencies, such as National Agriculture Research Institute (NARI), New Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC), Crops and Livestock Department, Rural Enterprise and Agricultural Development Project (READ), Agricultural Diversification Project (ADP) within the Ministry, as well as several private sector agencies with related interests.

This increasingly volatile organisation is poised to advance, with even more dynamism, the non-traditional agricultural farming sector, including small-scale producers, since this sector remains one of the pillars to ensure food security in the Caribbean. To boost non-traditional farming activity GAPA places specific emphasis in the areas of productivity, management, research, training and marketing information.

GAPA is currently playing a pivotal role in alleviating poverty in the rural areas with assistance from several ongoing projects within Guyana through a continuum of various projects within the ministries of Agriculture and Amerindian Affairs.

Goals and Objectives of GAPA
According to a release from GAPA, these include, inter alia: (a) To promote and assist in every way the development of agriculture in Guyana; (b) To organise farmers for united action to develop their particular industry; (c) To coordinate the efforts of farmers for the purpose of promoting their common interest; (d) To render services to farmers which will advance their social and economic conditions; (e) To participate and assist in formulating and promoting policies to meet existing and new challenges and changing economic conditions; (f) To negotiate with Government, its agencies and other bodies for the development of policies and programmes designed to further agricultural development; (g) To make representations on behalf of farmers to employees, landlords, Regional Councils, RDCs, Government, donors and others; (h) To take common action on any and all matters of interest and benefit to farmers; (i) To keep the farming community and general public informed on the state of the industry, its importance to the economy its potential for the development of the economy; (j) To do all things which are conducive to the attainment of these objectives (k) To administer funds provided through its own efforts, Government or donor programme to assist farmers for the development of agriculture. (l) To establish and maintain appropriate affiliation with groups or organisations that are pertinent to the objectives described herein.

Membership
Membership is continually increasing and, to date, there is an appreciable number of registered members on GAPA’s database, which is projected to increase significantly over the next 4 months as during this period GAPA is expected to launch and hold regional conferences across Guyana. All non-traditional farmers and established farmers who also produce cash crops are entitled to be members of GAPA.

Organisational Structure of GAPA
GAPA is managed by a General Council comprising a President, a Vice-President, a General-Secretary, an Assistant Secretary/Treasurer, and an Organising Secretary, together with 16 members, all elected by secret ballot at the General Meeting. The General Council has selected three Trustees and also has approved a trust deed which is registered in the Deeds Registry.

The secretariat is currently headed by Mr. Nandlall Steve Mangal, National Coordinator, with support from Administrative/ Accounting Staff.

GAPA is seen, along with its sister agency, Guyana Rice Producers Association, as integral to the administration’s thrust in the agricultural sector. Since its re-establishment the organisation has proven true to the trust reposed in it by the nation’s farming community.

GAPA/CAFAN holds stakeholders meeting today
In continued efforts to enhance and accelerate farmers networking within the CARICOM bloc, the Guyana Agricultural Producers’ Association (GAPA), in

collaboration with the Caribbean Farmers’ Network (CAFAN), will be hosting a Stakeholders’ meeting today beginning 09:00 h at the Ministry of Agriculture Board Room, Regent & Vlissengen Road, Bourda, Georgetown to discuss the importance of Guyana’s agriculture sector in the Caribbean.

Agriculture Minister, Hon. Robert M. Persaud, and other stakeholders will deliver remarks.

GAPA’s sister agricultural representative agency, the Guyana Rice Producers’ Association (RPA), is a founding member of CAFAN, and General-Secretary of the RPA, Mr. Dharamkumar Seeraj, will be making the opening remarks at that event.