– Chairman Singh
Region One (Barima/Waini) Chairman Mr. Fermin Singh has forecast that the region will once again become the most productive in Guyana.
He said steps are being taken to encourage farmers to advance from the subsistence level at which they operate, primarily with support from the Ministry of Agriculture through the ‘Grow More’ campaign and the Secure Livelihoods Programme (SLP) of the Amerindian Affairs Ministry.
Singh said the region had previously attained the highest production status and has the potential and it is aiming in that direction, once more.
In an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, he said, presently, more or less everyone there is considered a farmer but very few farmers put large quantities of produce on the market.
Singh said those who provide market supplies do so on a fortnightly basis using the ferry vessel M.V Kimbia.
“When the boat comes, the hucksters would purchase the farm produce at a price which is not always profitable for the planter,” he said.
Singh said, however, that efforts are being made to ensure that farmers can recover their cost of production and make profits.
Maintaining that the produce from the Region is of good quality, he said it is known for organic cultivation because farmers use primarily earth manure and other fertilizers which are not synthetic.
“For ages, farmers never use fertilisers that would damage the soil,” Singh said, explaining that the demand for organic products and the market value for them are being looked at to help the planters increase their returns.
He added: “With the market price for the organic products there are farmers who would be more than eager to go back into farming.”
Singh recalled that, some years ago, more particularly in the 1960s, Guyana was considered the food basket of the Caribbean and much of that produce came from Region One.
“Due to marketing strategies that did not work out well for us, farmers diverted to other activities like mining and logging and farming fell to almost zero,” he lamented.
However, Singh said the ‘Grow More’ drive is changing that trend.
He disclosed that the Ministry of Agriculture is advancing a training programme with the focus on preparation of root stocks, plant propagation, animal husbandry and the introduction of aquaculture.

Self-sufficient

“We want to be self-sufficient and productive on a commercial basis. The money from supplying the markets would allow people to get other things that we do not manufacture ourselves,” Singh stated.
He acknowledged that, while most people are self-employed in farming, not all of them are gainfully engaged and, in that context, the SLP has greatly helped.
Eight of the 20 Amerindian communities benefit from the SLP and the Agriculture Ministry project is helping to diversify farming activities by cultivating spices and other crops like passion fruit and pineapple, Singh said.
“We have even extended support to cassava. We introduced small cassava mills so they can process the vegetable and sell it,” he said.
Singh said farmers are encouraged to cultivate different crops and they are adapting.
Overall, he said economic projects are supported through grants, of between $700,000 and $1.5M, made possible by the government.