-seeks to standardize and improve agriculture system
The Animal Health Bill which seeks to reform the existing Animal and Plant Health legislation to further aid the transformation of the livestock sector, was Thursday passed in the National Assembly.
Presented by Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud, the bill will pave the way for the resuscitation of agriculture development, in keeping with the regional framework of CARICOM’s recent joint approach to establish the Caribbean Agriculture Health and Food Safety Agency.
Minister Persaud said that while this will seek to standardize and improve the agriculture system in a unified approach, the bill indicates Guyana’s lead role as an agriculture nation within the region.
“This approach is deemed as critical as more and more buyers seek to be assured that the foods purchased were produced to and meet internationally safety standards. This approach can also be considered critical coming at a time when more than one billion people are undernourished, owing largely to food insecurity,” he said.
He said that while new technologies, coupled with continuing globalisation and integration of the agri-business supply chain, will continue to alter trade flow, the projected growth in agriculture commodity trade is expected to lag behind, due to issues related to food safety and environmental concerns.
Caribbean countries have been at a dis-advantage, importing rather than exporting food; and according to the minister, while Guyana can boast of being a leading exporter of food from the region, the bill will significantly increase these efforts.
“Our country has the capacity to produce and export more food products; but today we still face restrictions in the market place, particularly in the Caribbean region, due to poor or certainly the absence of proper agriculture health and food safety practices, legislation as well as systems,” Minister Persaud lamented.
He added that this stymies the country’s ability to earn more revenues as a nation, hence the need for the revision of laws that can boost this aspect of the sector.
As agriculture trade liberalization and trade reforms are currently being pursued, Minister Persaud reminded the House that it is imperative for Guyana to take steps to reform the agriculture sector, to ensure that all necessary legislations are upgraded and much needed ones are introduced.
He emphasisied that while the country is now placed in a unique position to capitalize on this situation, due to the advantage of its small population, arable land mass, and availability of fresh water resources, the Bill will also position the country to be able to enter the global market with its agriculture products.
The ministry has embarked on a major agriculture diversification thrust which embodies revamping of the legislative framework, increasing institutional capacity, developing cluster chains for selected commodities, and providing financing grants and other support.
“More importantly Mr. Speaker, these pieces of legislation will allow for our population to be assured that what we produce and what is made available is safe,” he added.
Minister Persaud also assured the House that the passing of the Animal Health Bill, will significantly reduce the transmission of animal borne diseases to humans.
Responding to a question posed by People’s National Congress Reform Member of Parliament Mervyn Williams, who stated that the bill fails to make provision for an inter-agency connection, Minister of Public Service Dr. Jennifer Westford, in support of the Bill, said that over the years, government could boast of enacting legislations, benefiting the grassroots of the nation.
She added that the bill, which is necessary, and will significantly give extension officers more authority over animals, will make Guyana compliant with a number of conventions.
The bill also received support from Alliance for Change member Khemraj Ramjattan who stated that it will bring advancement to the livestock sector.
Minister Persaud, in conclusion, said the bill will certainly bring Guyana up to a level where the country can be compliant with a number of treaties and conventions, since this will see the agriculture thrust being diversified.
Government this year will also be spending approximately $416M to address animal health issues countrywide.