AGRICULTURE Minister Robert Persaud said, Tuesday, that with the $9.1 billion 2011 allocation, the agriculture sector is now poised to further expand its services to farmers, rural farming communities and other stakeholders.
Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh, in his Budget Speech in the National Assembly Monday, said the provision represents a 35 per cent increase in capital and eight per
cent decrease in current funding.
“This year, the Ministry of Agriculture will further accelerate its diversification programme and modernisation of the sector, in light of the recent increase in its
capital funding,” Persaud said.
According to him, emphasis will be placed on the  areas below:
* construction of a genetic bank for the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA);
* rehabilitation of the germ-plasm laboratory at the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI);
* rehabilitation of quarantine stations, control structures and access roads at Canals Polder;
* purchase of field inspection and laboratory equipment and
* the commencement of construction of an abattoir.
Persaud said, with the expansion of agricultural lands and greater demand for new land for cultivation, an increased number of pumps and construction and rehabilitation of
key drainage and irrigation (D&I) structures and access roads, improvement in the discharge capacity and flood control performance in farming and vulnerable areas have all
become necessary.

HOPE CANAL
“The Hope Canal project will be advanced and additional fixed and mobile pumps will be installed to deal with the effects of climate change,” he said.
The Finance Minister said agricultural diversification continues to be one of the principal pillars of the strategy to broaden the productive base of the economy.
Consequently, $1.5 billion have been allocated for that purpose, as compared with $1.3 billion in 2010 and will be aimed at augmenting the implementation of the strategic
plans for the three cluster groups, fruits, vegetables and livestock as well as aquaculture.
“In 2011, efforts will be made to expand new and emerging sectors of the economy to complement the traditional sectors, rice and sugar,” Persaud announced.
He said measures have already been taken and investments made to provide institutional strengthening, capacity building, credit facilities, improved physical
infrastructure and the upgrading and enactment of legislation for the efficient operation of the plant, animal and food safety agencies.
“Two financial facilities will be established to provide funding for qualified producer groups to improve their farming systems and processing activities,” Persaud
disclosed.
He said the grant facility will facilitate the acquisition of farming equipment, land clearing and preparation, building works and animal breeding.
Earlier distribution of breeding rams and pigs have seen farmers countrywide reaping benefits.
Additionally, Persaud said the credit facility will target individual farmers, as well as farmers’ associations, on a larger scale, through providing requisite
infrastructure and equipment to boost value-added interventions, improve the business climate, encourage private sector involvement and create competitiveness within the sector.
He said 7,500 farmers are expected to get training to be better equipped to contribute to the diversification effort.
“The ministry will continue to focus on new and innovative technologies to improve the livelihood of rural farmers and, concurrently, transform the sector into one that is
modern and competitive to withstand global challenges,” Persaud stated.

DID WELL
He reported that the sector did well, considering the constraints which plagued 2010.
Rice exports earnings expanded by 35.5 per cent, to US$154.6M, mainly attributable to a 28.9 per cent increase in export volume, to 336,313 tonnes, coupled with a 5.1 per
cent rise in average export prices, Persaud said.
The industry is projected to increase its production even further, to 379,628 tonnes, which would be the highest ever and, as a result, generate 4.9 per cent more in
value-added this year, he indicated.
On the other hand, export receipts from sugar suffered a 13.2 per cent decline, to US$104M, on account of 9.8 per cent lower average export price and volume.
In 2011, reflecting the industry’s expectation of a recovery to production levels previously achieved, sugar is targeted to make 298,879 tonnes, 35.3 per cent above the
2010 level.
The other crops sector grew by 2.5 per cent, a performance which reflects the effectiveness of government’s Grow More Food Campaign and the fact that this programme has
now matured and built its own momentum, Persaud said.
This year, the other agriculture sector is projected to grow by two per cent.
The livestock sector, last year, recorded a 1.1 per cent production decline, mainly as a result of an unanticipated shortfall in poultry produce during the first half of
the year but it recovered, somewhat, although not to fully compensate during the second half of the year, he said.
As such, that industry is, conservatively, expected to maintain its level of output in 2011.
The fishing sector also rebounded in the second half of 2010 to end with 7.4 per cent growth, as harvesting activity accelerated as the year progressed.
However, in 2011 it is only projected to grow by 0.4 per cent, as systems are being put in place to ensure the sustainability of the industry and maintenance of fish
stocks.
Persaud said, in the past year, the sector recorded modest growth of 1.4 per cent, reflecting increased production of logs, lumber, sawn wood and plywood, even though
production of the last ceased towards the end of the year due to boiler damage at the Barama plant.
In that context, given the absence of manufacturing capability for at least the first part of this year, output in the forestry sector is targeted to lower by 1.4 per
cent.
He said, globally, every year, challenges present themselves and, more often than not, they have significant impacts locally.
“It is well known that the agricultural sector has the greatest growth multiplier and, as such, is crucial for the growth and developments of our economy…these investments
are expected to deliver an agricultural sector growth,” Persaud forecast. (Vanessa Narine)