NARI Director reports…
THE $12M scheme to cultivate spices, initiated in June 2008 by Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Robert Persaud, will put tumeric on the local market by December.
The disclosure was made by Director of the National Agriculture Research Institute (NARI), Dr. Udho Homenauth, who said the project is intended to satisfy the needs of Guyanese as Guyana imports close to $1M in spices annually.
He said, presently, mainly Amerindian communities in hinterland regions have been targeted to boost economic activities because spices are not perishable and have long shelf life, which is ideal for transporting them over distances.
Tumeric, ginger, blackpepper and nutmeg cultivation is currently being done by 35 farmers, primarily in Regions One (Barima/Waini); Eight (Potaro/Siparuni); Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni); parts of Regions Nine (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo) and Four (Demerara/Mahaica), where soil type is appropriate.
Homenauth noted, however, that the spices will take at least seven months to mature, resulting in only one harvest per year.
He said there is a great amount of demand for ginger and tumeric on the market and machinery is, currently, being sourced to process them directly on tumeric and ginger powders.
Homenauth said tumeric would be the first on sale but may not satisfy the demands now but enough planting materials has been acquired to expand the industry on a larger scale in 2011.
He said blackpepper, which would be grown mainly in Region One, where the climate and weather are conducive, should be ready for cultivation in two years.
With regard to nutmeg, Homenauth said approximately 1,000 seedlings have been planted and should be ready for reaping in two months but will not be for sale just yet.