– Agri. Minister urges at commissioning of multi-million-dollar facility to house Pesticides and Toxic Chemical Control Board
THE administration’s unwavering commitment to modernise the vital agriculture sector was furthered with the commissioning, on Wednesday,  of an administrative building to house the Pesticides and Toxic Chemical Control Board, and two pieces of state-of-the-art chemical analyzing equipment. Minister of Agriculture Mr. Robert Persaud, who was present at the commissioning ceremony, at the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), said Government has recognized the importance of providing the necessary and essential infrastructure to move the sector forward.

“The new building and supporting state-of-the-art equipment represent close to $200M investment by the Government of Guyana,” Minister Persaud said, adding that this investment is aimed at furthering the development and modernization of the agriculture sector.

This new facility, he said, will significantly improve the capacity of the pesticides and toxic chemical control laboratory to conduct tests and analyse various chemicals being used in the agriculture sector.

Minister Persaud, while highlighting the importance of such a facility, noted that farmers should not see the facility as encouragement to use more pesticides and chemicals in their daily activities, but rather as an authority to monitor and control the use of chemicals, while ensuring the safety of the consuming public.   

“I don’t want this investment to be misconstrued, as the Government of Guyana doing something to accelerate and unnecessarily invite the use of pesticides and chemicals in our activities, since we previously did not have the capacity to test the various agents that were in chemicals that were being imported,” Minister Persaud told the gathering.
While highlighting some of the other benefits of having such equipment, the minister noted that this venture will help to satisfy the requirements of investors coming into Guyana. “Wishing to export our produce and products, they (investors) want to be assured that inputs are safe for human consumption and environmentally friendly,” the Government Information Agency (GINA) quoted the minister as saying.
In addition, he said the state-of-the-art equipment will allow the authority to analyse the safety of food being consumed locally.
“The consumers in Guyana will now be provided with scientific evidence that our farmers are in fact engaging in safe practices and be assured that what they are consuming will not, in the next  10 or 15 years, do harm to themselves or their offspring,” Minister Persaud assured the public.
He also noted that many other products inclusive of detergents and domestic cleaners will also be regulated by the pesticides and toxic chemical control board.
Minister Persaud, while informing the gathering about the mandate of the board, noted that its functions will not only see the setting up of a chemical testing laboratory; but there will be field inspections and collaboration with the Guyana Revenue Authority to ensure importers of chemicals complies with regulations.
“This Government is concerned about the welfare and safety of the farmers and while the chemicals they use might be safe, anyone who uses the chemical in a manner that is not prescribed can cause harm to themselves,” he warned.
He also urged stakeholders not to see this new development as an unnecessary step to get business done but as an imperative in developing a modern agricultural sector.
“Despite the barriers and hurdles that we have to face to get into the CARICOM market, they are still looking at Guyana and the fact that we are getting a lot of foreign investors coming here, the development of this facility will not give them any excuse why they should not buy from Guyana,” Minister Persaud.
The Agriculture Minister said that stern action will be taken against defaulters who are smuggling in substandard chemicals.
When this is done, Minister Persaud said farmers and consumers are being exposed to dire health risks.
Minister Persaud, while appealing to stakeholders to take full advantage of the facility, urged farmers to embrace and adapt to the changes within the sector.   
He further noted that these investments are not only geared at creating new markets but responding to the global demand for food.
Speaking about the future and the expectation that the world’s population is expected to grow significantly, he noted that food production will have to be doubled to meet demands.
Countries like Guyana, whose natural wealth is agricultural, will be looked upon to respond to those demands. It will also provide the opportunities for local farmers to tap into international markets.
He also indicated that close to US$30M is being spent on transforming and diversifying the traditional agriculture sector to create other economic ventures in crop, livestock and aquaculture.
Highlighting some of the measures taken by the current administration in preparing for the future, Minister Persaud boasted that more than 100,000 acres of new land were put back into cultivation under this Government.
Project coordinator of the Agriculture Sector Development Unit, Jimmy Bhojedat, said that Government continues to seek avenues in increasing production, and the enactment of several pieces of legislation, remodelling of agencies and investing in new technology are indicative of the commitment to ensure that Guyana remains food secure.