– broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, scotch bonnet pepper, butternut squash among those being grown locally
THE Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA) is, currently, in the process of compiling, for the benefit of the local farming community, production guides for the growing of crops that were not traditionally grown here previously.

Farm Manager and lecturer at the institution, Mr. Bhissasar Chintamani said GSA is, presently, cultivating several of those which, before, were not thought to be possible to grow in open fields locally.
In a telephone interview with the Guyana Chronicle, he said the cultivations include broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, scotch bonnet pepper and butternut squash, each on a quarter acre at the GSA location, Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara.
According to him, all the steps and practices involved in the production are being documented and will be used to compile the guide, which is important for farmers to see the possibility and not shy away from venturing into such business.
He said everything in the process, from land preparation to dealing with pests and diseases and what can be done to minimise their effects, is being recorded.
Chintamani said, once the data collected is compiled in document form, it will be handed over to the Extension Department of the Ministry of Agriculture.
He said the project, which is being undertaken by students of GSA under his guidance, started during the last term of the school year and is ongoing.

PROVED SUCCESSFUL
Chintamani pointed out that it was done on a smaller scale last year but, after that proved successful; a decision was taken to expand the farming to a quarter acre for each product.
He said the broccoli and cauliflower produced at GSA are of superior quality and even better than that imported; noting that the average weight of a head of broccoli import is normally between 300 and 500 grammes while that produced at GSA weighs 460 grammes.
Chintamani reported that supermarket testing was done with some of the products supplied to DSL Cash and Carry, although the full quantity the business wanted could not be met.
However, GSA does supply DSL with other vegetables on a regular basis, based on their requirements and he emphasised that the objective of the programme is not for it to evolve into a commercial business but, rather, to develop the technology for producing the crops.
Chintamani said the aim is to teach students the steps to be taken for the production of the crops from the field to the supermarket.
He also mentioned that samples of the locally produced broccoli were distributed to Members of Parliament (MPs) during the recent budget debates.