I WROTE a beautiful essay back in March 2009 to Guybernet since they had an essay competition for us UG students and the topic was: ‘What mechanisms you would create to advance Guyana’s multicultural identity and generate livelihoods.’ After writing the essay and entering the competition, I wondered how I was never contacted back nor informed on how well I did in this competition since I live in Berbice and came up with many resourceful ways of creating employment with what we already naturally have in our agriculture sector.

My father always would tell me that he knew truly in his mind that I had won and who knows if I did and these people took the prize I was supposed to earn. Anyway, this is how my artistic essay of originality on creating employment in our agricultural sector goes.

One of the most important industries that I would invest time, labour and collateral in would be the agricultural, livestock and crops industry if I am granted a golden opportunity to do so.
Since Guyana has an abundance of coconut trees that bear endless amounts of coconuts, I would employ labourers to harvest, process and refine them into edible cooking oil, so that the entire nation could benefit from the market by selling the product locally or exporting it to the foreign markets.
The by-product of the coconuts could be used for large pig farms which would work as a food supplement to fatten pig stocks for the markets. Since energy prices have risen so high and it is hard for people to afford cooking gas, the coconut shells would work perfectly to use for local firesides, and to cut domestic costs.
Furthermore, coconut flesh combined with other chemicals could be used to manufacture soap and detergents. This is a method how soap is made in factories in other countries. I am looking at efficient and effective ways of cutting costs, creating employment with factories and utilising resources in Guyana.
Coconuts have been used for centuries now and are considered a healthy product. People have been using it to cook with, as a body lotion, for hair treatment and other purposes. Someone visited our country and tried to condemn our coconuts which are vital products for us. Since our forefathers we have survived cooking with coconut oil when there was no other substitute or food available and they lived hundreds of years and more.

I can’t see how this blessed fruit could be harmful towards humans. Look at the numerous advantageous ways you can use this product to survive. Today, we are using imported oil and I see people are dying at an early age. Most confectionery factories overseas use the coconut flesh to flavour candies, chocolates, etc.

Bakeries and restaurants use coconut flesh for their delicacies and pastries such as soups, cakes, cookies, etc. Since we are living in a tropical country we are fortunate to plant a variety of local and rare types of fruit and vegetables for our market economy and also for basic necessities, i.e., food.

Some of the fruit and vegetables which could be freshly grown in a large scale on non-bacterial soil and without pesticides, so our regular veggies can meet high-quality standards to consume and international markets, are: boras (beans), black-eye peas, kidney beans, spinach, boulanger, cucumbers, tomatoes, pumpkins, ochroes, cassava, plantains, mangoes, downs, pineapples, jamoons, guava, cherries, etc..

Even foreign fruits and veggie products could be tried to be planted here in various seasons for our own local consumption and exquisite delicacies in city restaurants such as: strawberries, blueberries, peaches, nectarines, purple plums, kiwis, cantaloupes, honeydews, apples, pears, radishes, broad stalk green celery, root-a-bags, cauliflower, broccoli, large cabbages, etc.

These fruit and vegetables can be processed and put into cans, jams and juices. Vegetables can only be packaged in a freezer or canned for export purposes or during drought seasons or floods, when there is a shortage of food circulation in the country.

Our supermarkets should proudly display and boast our local commodities in cans, pickled in bottles and packaged on shelves labelled, “Made in Guyana.”

The government would have to encourage private enterprises to work in collaboration, to invest in factories along the coastland that would, in turn create massive employment for labourers and the qualified.

In the fisheries and marine industry, a perfect fishery factory can be made involving duties such as cleaning, cutting and washing different types of fish.

The type of fish we could can for our local and export markets are: gillbacker, snapper, cuffum, banga mary, butterfish, etc.
A dairy-processing plant can be made since milk provides endless calcium and protein for our bodies and drinking of milk should be advocated in schools.

The dairy-processing machine would extract milk from the cows just like overseas and give you a variety of fats that you would like to consume in your milk, i.e., 1%, 2%, skimmed milk, etc. The processed milk will then be passed into a department to take charge of making dairy products such as: cheese, butter, yogurt, ice cream, ghee, milk, chocolate, etc. This again would generate tremendous employment opportunities for everyone here in Guyana and a healthy life.

The skins of cattle would be used to make hats, belts, wallets, boots and bags, etc., durable items. The beef is a delicacy and provides the body with protein which makes you strong. The meat could also be processed and canned for customers’ convenience; similarly, our sheep and goats could be specially bred and reared for the local and foreign markets use.
This is an idea to embrace; our Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud’s idea of “National Animal Breed-enhancement programme launched – Minister Pledges support for sectors to produce world-class beef,” dated July 2, 2011 in the Guyana Chronicle. I also came up with ways of creating livelihoods in tourism and health areas but my topic for today is agriculture.
I can recall sending this powerful essay to Mr. Robert Persaud and got to know, through a good friend working at the Agriculture Ministry that he never got my essay and that it was circulated around the ministry to share my idea without my consent.

I told Mr. Persaud about it the other day and he told me he was terribly sorry. Do you see the kind of secretaries we employ in our government offices?
Anyway, these are some bright, constructive ways of creating employment for our future generation and if I can’t do it, the floor is open and welcome to anyone in government or private sector to take this opportunity of utilising these ideas to allow our people to stay in Guyana and not to stray overseas.
I am also supporting the Berbice Expo theme this year: “Promoting Agri-business and Tourism.” I do hope my essay will be acknowledged. This is my gift to Guyana and it is obvious that the amount of potential behind these ideas would be honoured in later days to come.