-Minister Persaud
THE Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the Inter American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) facilitated a seminar on the Cost of Production Model at the University of Guyana’s Centre for Information Technology, Turkeyen Campus.
The two-day seminar is aimed at increasing farm management and operation. It is expected that the seminar would assist farmers and agriculture stakeholders in making policy and investment decisions, to encourage record keeping and to determine the profitability of crops.
Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud indicated that the training programme is necessary to drive the modernisation of the sector.
He said many farmers in Guyana sometimes pay a lot of emphasis on the art and science of agriculture, but sufficient attention is not paid to the business of agriculture.
“For us to understand how important it is that we pay attention to business it is through this type of interaction that we would be able to get our farmers and other stakeholders to fully appreciate the business of agriculture,” Minister Persaud posited.
He also emphasised that farmers and processors are engaged in an activity (farming) to sustain their livelihood, ensure prosperity and improve their income.
“They are in agriculture to make money. No action is taken by farmers to understand the true value of their crop. Having a cost of production statement helps the farmer to know where there is overspending or where costs can be reduced,” he said.
The training session is solely aimed at assisting farmers to better run their farming enterprises.
Importantly, the administration has invested $20M to undertake training in the agriculture sector.
Following the seminar the participants are expected to share the information they gained. A kit would be put together for other farmers and computer software would be developed for farmers to appropriately record their products and expenditures.
The seminar is facilitated by Policy Analysis and Planning Specialist, IICA Office in Trinidad and Tobago, Edric Harry and would see the participants being taught to use the cost of production model, which would enable them to keep records of their produce and monies spent.