SEVERAL small farmers in Region Five (Mahaica/Berbice) have attested that improvements in the agriculture sector encourages their activities. But they maintained that more needs to be done for them in the field, especially in the area of technical assistance, visits by experts and help to deal with their major problem, diseases.
Mr. Roy Dhanraj, who was involved since the 1980s, told the Guyana Chronicle that progress is being made, primarily through the ‘Grow More Food’ campaign.
Speaking at Bath, West Coast Berbice, he said people there want more land to cultivate especially cash crops.
Dhanraj admitted that, recently, support to small farmers has increased but called for greater efforts to be made.
In his opinion, infrastructure is required to bolster water management, apart from aid to cope with disease spreading issues.
Dhanraj said he lost 300 tomato plants last week, because of the use of planting material he imported and suggested that, with more technical support, farmers will be able to do better.
His main produce are calaloo and tomato.
“The markets are reasonable but they can be better. The middle men is the one who is getting the most. They are reaping the benefit, really. So something has to be done to help small famers deal with this,” he lamented.
However, despite the challenges, Dhanraj said he will continue the agricultural pursuit which has benefits other than money.
“Farming keeps a man healthy. It is good work,” he said.
Mr. Mansaram Persaud commended those leading advancement in the sector for doing a good job.
“They need to go more to where people are planting small patches and give them some more help,” he recommended.
Persaud said his main bugbear is dealing with plant diseases in the right way.
“We need expert advice on things like these. You need someone to come and show you certain things, otherwise you can end up losing you whole crop.”
Mr. Visendat Chrisendat, a veteran of 20 years, said agriculture is what he has known for most of his life and the moves to enhance it keeps him going.

Advice
He said disease destroyed some of his pepper plants but advice from a Guyana Agricultural Producers’ Association (GAPA) field officer, Mr. Neezam Vhikram saved his crop.
“That is mostly what people need, someone to come in every now and then to look at your plants and tell you how to do it better,” Chrisendat said.
Once that support is there, small farmers will be more willing to diversify their crops because they will have the assurance of relevant technical advice, he observed.
Mr. Ramratan Khemraj, who has been planting since he was a boy, concurred that the sector has, indeed, made significant strides but endorsed the call for support to ensure equity in its development.   
He disclosed that agriculture is his life’s work and what he will continue doing but requested access to improved supportive mechanisms, which the Agriculture Ministry must put in place.
Khemraj said the systems can be there but, if the small farmer does not know how they become available, they will not serve the purpose.
He cultivates two plots and has seen relative success with the pepper, celery and boulanger, among others.
Ms. Sita Ramdeen said: “I have been doing this for 15 years and, from what I see, the sector is going good. But the small farmers need things like drugs for the plants.”
Together with her husband, she has planted their backyard, primarily with pepper, from which they derived success.
Making his more than a backyard undertaking, Mr. Imtiaz Mohammed said his farming activities takes care of his family in a big way.
He said he plants celery on a large scale and improvements in the sector have helped his operations.
“At Bath, most people are employed with the sugar estate and they do the cash crops part time. Most of them would get more involved if they get the support,” he opined.