IF there is one country in South America and indeed the entire Caribbean Region which could boast a repertoire of fruits and vegetables, that none could equal, that country has to be Guyana.
It has never been surprising therefore, that we have been dubbed to be the only country in this part of the world with the capacity and potential to be the food basket in the Caribbean, and perhaps the entire South American continent.
In terms of fruits, we have from a range that is unending, including some that have the ability to compete on the international market like our bananas, mangoes and pineapples.
Our pineapple could be classified as the most important fruit crop for both the domestic and export markets, and backed by our Ministry of Agriculture, the crop has been developing from strength to strength year after year, so much so that this fruit which was traditionally cultivated in areas of Regions 3 and 4, has for some time now been spread to the Mainstay/Whyaka area in Region 2 on the Essequibo Coast.
Production figures of the fruit in Regions 3 and 4 at the moment stands at between 15.0 tons to 18.0 tons per hectare. However, with improved technology, the fruit has the ability to reach up to 30,000 tons per hectare. Now we are heartened with the news that the farmers in the Mainstay/Whyaka area are expecting a bountiful organic pineapple crop.
The Deputy Toshao of the Amerindian community, Joel Fredericks, has reported that 120 acres of pineapple in the Mainstay/Whyaka area under cultivation are coming on strong enough to produce an abundant crop. This has come about because of the resilience of the villagers in the area who are involved in the cultivation of organic pineapples.
Their persistence in staying with pineapples was driven by the fact that there is a processing factory in the village to which the fruits are sent and after processing, the chunks are exported to France, the United States, Britain, Canada and other Commonwealth countries.
Whereas, in the past, the pineapple was consumed as a fresh fruit, with the development of the processing industry, the fruit in now prepared and consumed as pineapple chunks, slices, juices, syrups, jams, crushed pineapples and diced pineapples for instance.
The pineapple is a marvellous fruit as apart from value-added aspects; by-products could be produced by the waste after processing of the fruit. Although this could be a bit costly, we believe it is worth the try, as apart from the foreign exchange generating capacity, it would serve to create employment for especially people in the village and surrounding areas.
After the fruit is processed, the waste is further processed into sugar, wines, vinegar and animal feed among other things. All we have to do is to get the necessary equipment for the manufacturing of the by-products.
We believe that there are so many things we could do with the pineapple which will benefit the economy and people of this country, that the time may soon come when we would be forced into the direction of making maximum use of our products which are multi-dimensional in character.
We point to the high-quality fibres in the Philippines and Taiwan which are produced from the leaves of their pineapple. These fibres are ideal for the manufacture of luxury clothing.
The world is changing; climatic conditions are changing, weather patterns are changing. We cannot afford to be left behind, but instead must put our resources to maximum use. There are times when we have to be innovative, and when we are innovative, we have to be brave, and when we are brave, there are bound to be results because fortune favours the brave.
We must not allow our reputation as a major food producer to drift away from us. If we want to realise our goals, we as a nation have to be assertive and decisive.
