GUYANA’s food security should not lead to nonchalance, imprudence and arrogance. For while the nation is producing enough food to feed every person in the country, pockets of people do exist who are not food secure, Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy stressed at World Food Day 2012 observance Tuesday.

He acknowledged that sometimes the supply and distribution chain does not work to ensure that all persons have what they need, and this is an issue that needs to be addressed.
The minister warned that while Guyana may be food secure, citizens must be careful to make healthy choices in the foods they eat. Malnutrition has been reduced drastically across the country, to single digit percentages; and Vitamin A deficiency, which has plagued other countries around the world, no longer exists in Guyana. This momentum should be maintained, he urged.
Minister Ramsammy also focused on farmers’ achievements, noting that food security be taken further into economic gains in terms of exporting value added products.
Guyana’s food importation is unsustainable, Minister Ramsammy stated. With an annual food import bill of US$200M, there is no reasonable chance for local farmers and producers.
He pointed to several foods grown locally that are imported, and urged Guyanese to be proud of their produce and focus on local production.
Noting that there were several attempts to create a successful dairy industry for milk production, the Agriculture Minister suggested that this failed due to the poor production stock used. He said that the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) is currently mandated to carry out work to improve livestock breeds for various purposes.
Acknowledging farmers and technicians, Minister Ramsammy noted that there will be fewer talks to famers and more of showing them what could be done. As such, 20 farmers groups who have prepared business plans have had them considered, and over $200M will allow them to have grants up to $6M, with the ability to access further loans.
Work will also be ongoing on value added products in the sector, namely the processing and packaging of Guyan’s products. The Guyana School of Agriculture has been identified for this task.
The Guyana Shop, which will soon be commissioned, will be the outlet promoting and introducing these products to the public. Production will be aimed towards achieving national and international standards.
World Food Day 2012 was observed in Guyana by the Ministry of Agriculture and its affiliates, with an exhibition and open day on the lawns of the ministry. While the official World Food Day theme, Agricultural cooperatives, key to feeding the world was the focus of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, the local theme was-Better Technology, Better Farming, Ensuring Food Security, both themes gave focus to World Food Day observances and were aimed at raising awareness and understanding of approaches to ending hunger.
Chief Co-operatives Development Officer in the Ministry of Labour, Kareem Abdul-Jabar, stated that agricultural co-operative societies are focused on addressing and improving the socio-economic needs of its members. This kind of co-operation offers a means to sustaining food security and is the platform for the world’s most vulnerable class of people to work from, to their benefit.
Krishna Seulall, a farmers’ representative from West Berbice, said that while Region 5 is a large agricultural producing area, there are some serious challenges in adapting to climate change. While cash crops farmers are doing well with assistance from the ministry, there are also challenges to be faced during the currently extreme dry weather.
Dr. Lystra Fletcher-Paul, FAO representative in Guyana, presented the World Food Day Message of Director-General Jos Graziano da Silva, who emphasized the need to work for the total eradication of hunger, adding that many countries, in South America, Africa and Asia, are proving that this is possible.
The Director General threw his weight behind cooperatives as a major way to lift small-scale farmers out of poverty and hunger. Although they produce most of the food in many countries, he said small-scale farmers had poor access to markets to sell their products, lack of bargaining power to buy inputs at better prices, and a lack of access to financial services.
Agricultural cooperatives can help smallholders overcome these constraints, he said. Cooperatives play a crucial role in generating employment, reducing poverty, and improving food security, and contributing to the gross domestic product in many countries.
The FAO chief urged governments to do their part and create conditions that allow producer organisations and cooperatives to thrive. He added that while agriculture and co-operatives are natural allies, and there is the means for the elimination of hunger and malnutrition, what is needed is an enabling environment.
Meanwhile, Wilbur Garnett, Representative of the Inter-American Institute for Co-operation on Agriculture (IICA), reiterated his organisation’s commitment towards helping Guyana in capacity building for improving market access for small producers and agro-processors.
IICA is also working with stakeholders to promote better usage of technology in the sector and to supervise the various agricultural groups and co-operatives.