AGRICULTURE Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy has said availability of food and access to it are two separate issues.
He explained that, while Guyana produces enough food for export, it does not mean that local access is guaranteed, particularly in hinterland areas. “Guyana faces no problems in terms of the amount of food we have, but we have to continue to maintain our food security from the point of adequate amounts community by community, particularly hinterland communities,” Ramsammy emphasised in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle.
Ramsammy stressed that hinterland agriculture is key to maintaining Guyana’s food security status, a policy that will ensure affordable quality.
He cited the Moco Moco Rice and Beans Project, as an example that makes a commodity more widely accessible.
There has been specific focus on improving food security and self-sufficiency in the hinterland, because of several reasons, including the high cost of transporting food there and, to date, some other initiatives rolled out to advance it, as well, are:
* the establishment of a 10 acres model farm to demonstrate use of savannah lands for year round production of crops at Moco Moco;
* the introduction of the drip irrigation system at St. Ignatius and Annai to allow  timely and consistent distribution of water along the root zones of plants, uniformed distribution and reduction of wastage;
* the introduction of Texana breed at Point Ranch, in addition to other support provided in the livestock sub-sector;
* rehabilitation of the plant nursery at Karasabai and
* technical support for the establishment of a 20 acres cashew plot at Shulinab.

No shortfalls
Ramsammy said his ministry is monitoring the situation in the hinterland to ensure that there are no shortfalls in those communities.
“We have to look at the question of equitable access,” he maintained, adding that the Agriculture Ministry is working with the Ministries of Local Government and Amerindian Affairs to make sure that there are no problems with equitable access to food.
According to him, the Ministry of Agriculture is moving, strategically, to initiate interventions that will improve the situation.
He said, in the short term, these initiatives surround improving resistance to the changes in climate that cause either flooding or extended dry seasons.
Ramsammy said that approach lends support to the Ministry’s long term involvement, which is aimed at mitigation and adaptation to climate change.
In the agriculture sector, Climate Smart agriculture is being undertaken with an understanding of certain facts: the need to increase production, while increasing the sector’s resiliency and advancing practices aimed at mitigating climate change impacts.
In addition to being one of the platforms from which adaptation is being promoted, it seeks to ensure that agricultural activities involve the development of flood and drought-resistant rice strains in that sector; improved mechanisation in the sugar industry; increased use of genetic systems to advance the livestock sector and the use of new technologies for other crops and in the fisheries sectors.
The Minister indicated, “We are also looking at diversifying our crops…we have made some moves, but, as we move forward this is an area that we will look at more closely.”
National Strategy
Ramsammy said, under the Guyana National Food and Nutrition Security Strategy, which addresses combating hunger and food insecurity, the main objectives are to:
* help ensure immediate access to food in emergency contexts;
* rebuild and enhance resilience to withstand shocks;
* support longer term developmental initiatives for hunger and poverty reduction;
* take stock of national, regional and global initiatives directed at improving food security coordination with a view to encouraging convergence and avoiding duplication among such initiatives;
* improve the sharing of information on food security and nutrition policies and programmes undertaken by national and regional stakeholders by reviewing them;
* inform the National Assembly about successes achieved as well as the challenges and needs to reduce hunger and malnutrition in Guyana;
* ensure agricultural trade fosters food security;
* promote rural development;
* enhance women’s access to resources;
* ensure children and other vulnerable groups have access to food and
* ensure sustainable incomes of small producers.
The consensus among sector stakeholders is that the progressive polices on Hinterland agriculture will see significant enhancements in the agriculture sector and go a long way to bolster Guyana’s food secure status.
More importantly, the long-term impact of the investments being made is for the empowerment of the Amerindian people, whose inclusion in the development of Guyana’s national architecture is a must.