…key to bolstering sector’s competitiveness
Three new pieces of legislation – the Plant Health Bill 2011, the Animal Health Bill 2011, and the Seed Bill 2011 – aimed at modernising and transforming the agriculture sector, putting it on a more competitive and sustainable path, were tabled in the National Assembly last Thursday.
Giving a background to government’s decision to introduce the laws, Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud said that the decision stemmed from the food and energy crises from which the world is still reeling.
He said experts from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations are warning that indicators point to a repeat of the crisis in 2011.
“This warning has been issued in the backdrop of the recent floods in Australia and the warm weather in Latin America, damaging crops and forcing an increase in prices in basic commodities such as wheat, corn and soya bean, threatening the fundamentals of global food security.”
The minister made the point that these new developments also threaten Guyana’s food security “given
the fact that we are still heavily dependent on the importation of these commodities, coupled with the negative effects of climate change on our food production.”
He noted that, nevertheless, Guyana finds itself in a unique position to capitalise on this situation, given the small population size, large land mass and available water resources, thus allowing it to position itself to enter the global market with non-agricultural products.
“This opportunity will serve as a catalyst for Guyanese to increase food production, leading to an increase in livelihoods and achieving its national food security goals,” he said.
The minister noted that to achieve this, Guyana has embarked on a major diversification thrust in
agriculture, which embodies a revamping of its legislative framework, increased institutional capacities, development of cluster value chains for selected commodities, and the provision of seed financing for the clusters.

The minister said that conforming to the international requirements for Animal Health, Plant Health
and Crop Production certification is critical to enable Guyana to capitalise on the opportunities presented by the global food crisis and to access the international markets.
“Consequently, the presentation of the Animal Health, Plant Protection and Seeds Bills is part of  the process of diversification and sets the groundwork for the complete overhaul of our agricultural health
and food safety system in keeping with Guyana’s commitments to implementing the WTO’s Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures signed onto  by our President,” Persaud said.

Animal Health Bill
The minister explained that the Animal Health Bill is a complete revision of the Animals (Movement) and
Disease Prevention Act 2003, catering for the introduction of sections dealing with Aquatic Animal Health and the modern prescribed forms for international animal health certification.
“This Bill also follows the recommended CARICOM format for legislations and is styled after the European Union and FAO guidelines in the control of movement of animals and the control of exotic animal diseases,” the minister said. He called it a very important piece of legislation which puts Guyana on par with most other countries, and further facilitates Guyana’s entrance into the meat market of the Caribbean and outer world.

Plant Protection Bill
The Plant Protection Bill presents the current Plant Protection Act of 1943 in a new format, conforming to the CARICOM Legislative Model, while establishing Guyana’s adoption of the phytosanitary measures of the International Plant Protection Council (IPPC) and the SPS agreements of the WTO.
“In addition, the bill empowers the quarantine inspectors to conduct inspections of imported agricultural products to safeguard our own agriculture from exotic pests and diseases. The new section on quarantine inspections also obliges customs officers to assist quarantine inspectors in
the conduct of their respective duties,” the minister said.

Seeds Bill
According to the minister, the Seeds Bill is a new piece of legislation that seeks to establish control
over the importation and use of seeds for production in Guyana and to regulate the quality and types of seed material to be used in the country.
“Having control over the certification of quality seeds will insure that there is consistency and quality in the final product that will engender market security for our agricultural producers, thus allowing us to take full advantage of the opportunities presented by the world food crisis,” he said.
He noted that a key section of the Bill allows  the establishment of a seeds register, “which
is very important as it informs the government on the type location and quantity of seed material available at any time in the country.”
This, he said, is critical to the establishment of food security and stability in the country, especially in face of natural disasters.