-through agricultural diversification
A GINA Feature
Food security, a concept which was first introduced in the early 1970s with an emphasis on the volume and stability of food supplies, has since been refined, gaining greater focus as Governments make concerted efforts to attain  food-secure status for their countries.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), “Food security is a situation that exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.”

GROW MORE FOOD CAMPAIGN (Phase Two)
“Agriculture cannot operate without adequate infrastructure and that’s growing. Large government investments have been made in that sector and we will make sure that the policy environment and the incentives are constantly aligned to encourage production,” President Bharrat  Jagdeo said at the launch of phase two of the Grow More Food campaign on August 17.
Launched under the theme: “Grow more food in a climate smart way” at Square of the Revolution, farmers received seeds, other planting materials, breeding animals (pigs) and feed. They were encouraged to adopt a more climate-conscious approach to agriculture. The new phase of the campaign, apart from its advocacy on enhancing the food production scale, focuses on climate adaptation farming methods such as drip irrigation, and high ground planting.
The Grow More Food Campaign was launched in March 2008 in an effort to increase food production in Guyana by adopting a market-led approach.
This was realized through the implementation of a five-step plan; the establishment of the agriculture export diversification project, rural enterprise and agricultural development project, enhanced extension services and improved drainage and irrigation services and increased access to seeds and planting materials.

Several initiatives by the Government have seen Guyana attaining the status of a ‘food secure’ nation, as focus these past years has shifted to diversifying the agriculture sector and exploring new income generating avenues. Leading the way is the ‘Jagdeo Initiative on Agriculture’ which addresses the constraints in the Region, resulting in several efforts at the regional level to advance food security efforts.

Major projects that have been implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture that directly and indirectly address issues pertaining to food security are: the Agricultural Export Diversification programme (US$21.9M), the Agricultural Support Services Programme (US$22M), Rural Enterprise Development Project (US$6M) and Rice and Beans Project for Hinterland Communities (US$0.65M).
This year, Government allocated $9.2B to the agriculture sector, compared to $8B in 2010 to further develop the sector.

THE ‘JAGDEO INITIATIVE’ ON AGRICULTURE
One of the initiatives to help realize a ‘new agriculture vision’ for Guyana is set on the premise of the ‘Jagdeo Initiative’ that identifies and defines the key constraints facing agricultural development in the Caribbean region.
The ‘new agriculture vision’ aims at making the sector more than just the production of food by exploring the numerous opportunities that exist for agro-businesses which will create more employment, increase export earnings and the incomes of all stakeholders especially farmers.
In January 2005, President Bharrat Jagdeo’s proposal to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) was formally dubbed the ‘Jagdeo Initiative-Strengthening Agriculture for Sustainable Development’. The proposal was endorsed by members of the agri-business sector, the forum of Ministers of Agriculture and the 2005 Heads of Government Conference.
In 2007, Caribbean Heads of Government met at a special meeting of donors and, among other actions, it was decided that the Jagdeo Initiative would be implemented over the next 18 months. It identifies and defines key, crucial and binding constraints to agricultural repositioning in the Caribbean Region and aims to develop and implement targeted, focused and practical interventions at both the regional and national levels to overcome the constraints.
Limited financing and inadequate new investments, outdated and inefficient agricultural health and food safety systems, inadequate research and development and fragmented and unorganized private sectors are some of the constraints that were identified. In pursuing the ‘Jagdeo Initiative,’ several interventions were made by Government to help realise the country’s agricultural potential.

DIVERSIFICATION EFFORTS
New and emerging sectors of the economy, which will increase contributions to the national economy, are also being expanded, to complement the performance of the traditional sectors – rice, sugar and bauxite. This year, $1.5B was allocated for agricultural diversification compared to $1.3B for 2010.

In keeping with its efforts to diversify the agriculture sector and increase the level of production, Government implemented a Rural Enterprise and Agriculture Development Project (READ) at a cost of US$6.9M and an Agriculture Export Diversification Programme (ADP) at a cost of US$22.9M.

The ADP, funded by the Government and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has since paved the way for the construction of a germ plasm laboratory, seed facilities countrywide,a genetic bank to support the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) and the visionary rice and bean project in Region Nine.

Its contribution also has helped to build  capacities of small farmers and to encourage them to get more involved in diversification and livestock rearing. The rice and bean project at Moco Moco is done on a large scale utilizes savannah lands and deals specifically with legumes.

The Agricultural Support Services Programme (ASSP), funded by the Government and the IDB focused on civil works, rice seed research and production and agricultural diversification promotion along with repairing and building drainage systems in Regions 3, 4, and 6.

Farmers, under the aegis of the Water Users Association (WUA) were given full responsibility for some drainage systems, to avoid problems in irrigating their lands.

Efforts are moving apace to introduce new crops to ensure that production is heightened, especially in the remote communities. Spices have been incorporated on a large scale  as  new crops in hinterland communities which have suitable soil types.

Among these are onion, carrot, turmeric, black pepper, ginger, nutmeg and Irish potato introduced in several communities including Kato, Kurukubaru, Paramakatoi and Bamboo Creek.

The agricultural diversification thrust is focused on the production of fruits, vegetables, livestock and fisheries. Production of value-added products from these commodities and agro-industrial development are also targeted in the diversification drive.

Crops including pumpkins, peppers, pineapples and plantains, and one livestock activity – beef, have been identified to lead the country’s diversification initiative while other potential industries are being explored.

Drainage and irrigation is essential to the agriculture sector as thousands of acres of farmlands and households depend directly on it for sustenance. The National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) has direct responsibility for drainage and irrigation across the country.

Funds are allocated annually for such works and machinery procured to assist in effecting its work. It has procured 29 excavators, two pontoons, two punts, two track type dozers and one heavy duty hauler and low bed.
TRADITIONAL CROPS
Government’s commitment towards ensuring the viability of the rice industry continues to be seen with tangible interventions as rice production for the first crop of 2011, recorded a whopping 202,077 metric tonnes. Of this amount, 4,894,270 bags of paddy were produced compared to 4,689,138 in 1999.
The sugar industry, despite challenges, has recorded positives including the Skeldon Sugar Modernisation Project (SSMP) which was commissioned in 2009 and facilitated the expansion of sugar cane production from 5,727 to 9,344 hectares, and the Enmore packaging Facility which was commissioned in May of this year.
LIVESTOCK
In keeping with its aim to diversify agricultural products and increase the level of production, the Ministry launched a Small Farmers’ Group Financial Facility which falls under the aegis of the ADP and READ programmes.
The GLDA Act was passed and will see farmers benefiting from improved services while systems were created for them to benefit from egg hatching by utilizing the incubation facilities at the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI).
Farmers are also benefitting from breeding animals, including sheep and pigs.
CASH CROPS
Research and extension efforts through NAREI were revamped to offer additional support to farmers and the Ministry, heightened training of farmers and other stakeholders in Good Agribusiness and Post Harvest Practices. Agronomists returning from Cuba and Trinidad and Tobago have boosted extension services across the country.
AQUACULTURE
A US$1M aquaculture diversification programme was embarked upon while $20M was injected through collaboration between the Governments of Guyana and Brazil, for the training of aquaculture farmers countrywide. While a commercial hatchery was commissioned at the Maharaj Oil Mill in October 2009, the Satyadeow Sawh Aquaculture Station at Mon Repos as of June this year, produced 42,700 fingerlings as compared to 20,000 in 2008, 85,872 for 2009 and 74,950 in 2010. There are approximately 75 aquaculture farms countrywide.
LEGISLATION
In order to provide legislative support to the sector, Government enacted several pieces of key legislation including the Seeds Bill which will provide for the production, sale, import, export and provision of quality seeds in Guyana; the Animal Health Bill which paves the way for the resuscitation of agricultural development; the Plant Protection Bill which will significantly transform the way in which plant health is being currently administered in Guyana; and the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) Legislation which  facilitated the establishment of NAREI in 2011.