GUYANA is one of the few countries in this region that is blessed with an abundance of fruits and has great potential to expand cultivation.
The full potential could be realised with the growing demand for fresh and processed fruits on the global market and farmers should capitalise on the current trend by venturing into increased fruit production. The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has projected that world production and trade of fresh tropical fruit is expected to expand over the next decade.
Developing countries account for about 98 percent of total production, while developed countries account for 80 percent of world import trade. The major tropical fruits account for approximately 75 percent of global fresh tropical fruit production.
Mango is the dominant tropical fruit variety produced worldwide, followed by pineapples, papaya and avocado – and all are easily grown in Guyana.
The pineapple, which is very versatile because it could be consumed in its raw form or processed into jams, jellies and juices, is in abundance here.
Cultivation of this fruit has expanded and one notable venture has been the organic pineapple project in the Amerindian settlement of Mainstay/Whyaka which targets the European market mainly as there is a growing demand there for organic foods.
In this regard, the government has given financial assistance to pineapple farmers of Mainstay/Whyaka, in keeping with a promise by Minister of Agriculture Mr. Robert Persaud.
He gave the undertaking four months ago when he visited the Amerindian community to look at several problems facing the crop.
Mr. Persaud had encouraged dozens of farmers to expand pineapple cultivation to increase production and keep the processing factory in operation.
In the drive to make new lands available for the purpose, he had given the farmers the assurance that for every acre they cut, burn and clear, the government will pay for an additional one.
This was a wise move and, with others, should serve to motivate farmers in that community to expand their cultivation.
Perhaps the Agriculture Ministry should also explore the possibility of doing the same thing with other pineapple farmers as there is a growing export market for the fruit.
The ministry should also try to woo more investors into value added production using local fruits. A few companies are already involved in this line of production but more are needed and they should be more strategically located.
Fruits are full of potential in Guyana and are just waiting to be plucked.