Agriculture defines our patrimony and national identity

AGRICULTURE is the binding force that, except for our indigenous community, impelled the importation to this country of practically all of our ancestors, either through slavery or indentureship; and this is the sector that, more than any other, is the main sustenance of our national economy.
In yesteryears, it was by collective efforts that our ancestors endured and prevailed through severely challenging circumstances; and this was the genesis of co-operatives in Guyana.


Government is seeking to revive this method of farming and recently it was reported that 64 farmers at Unity, in the Lower Pomeroon River, have formed themselves into a group with the objective of working together through the Guyana Agriculture Producers Association (GAPA) to put some 190 acres of virgin land under cultivation to boost production and contribute to the national ‘Grow More Food’ drive. The targeted acreage will be divided into five-acre plots to benefit 38 families in the area who will each get one plot.

The Guyana Agricultural Producers’ Association known by its acronym, GAPA, is a non-governmental and non-profit entity.
The GAPA secretariat is located at Brickdam, Georgetown, with chapters in all other regions.
The GAPA has been in existence since 1974. Established to serve the farming community, it became defunct shortly thereafter as farming became more of a challenge for lack of support from the then PNC Government, forcing the farming community to reduce the scale of its production because overheads and inputs became prohibitive and losses were excessively more than profits. However, the new PPP/C Government gave farmers hope once more and, slowly but surely, the agriculture sector was revived through a series of governmental interventions, especially in the vital areas of drainage and irrigation. The GAPA was, as a consequence of the re-energised agri sector, re-established in 2008 to better serve and provide for the non-traditional agricultural farmers in Guyana, including the hinterland areas through the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs.
GAPA has affiliations with the Ministry of Agriculture and its agencies, such as the National Agriculture Research Institute (NARI), Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC), the Rural Enterprise and Agricultural Development Project (READ) and the Agricultural Diversification Project (ADP) as well as with other private sector agencies.
With its re-establishment, GAPA catalysed a dynamic thrust to advance the non-traditional agricultural farming sector, including small-scale producers, since this sector remains one of the pillars to ensure food security in Guyana and the Caribbean. This organization places specific emphasis in the areas of productivity, management, research, training and marketing information.
Former President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, under whose watch the ‘Grow More Food Campaign’ and ‘The Jagdeo Initiative on Agriculture’ were launched, with one of the vital areas in which Guyana achieved the MDG’s being food security, stated at the launch of the second phase of the Grow More Food campaign at the Square of the Revolution that Guyana’s reputation as a net exporter of food and the most robust in terms of security is due to the keen interest of local farmers who have for years been dedicating their time and energy to the sector, which other countries seem to be treating with neglect.
He advocated that Guyanese “Grow more food in a climate smart way,” which was also the theme for second phase of the Grow More Food Campaign, which placed emphasis on enhancing the food production scale by focusing on climate adaptation farming methods, such as drip irrigation, and high-ground planting.
At that forum, the former Head of State assured that the agriculture sector will continue to benefit from Government’s support as it has been doing over the years, given its vitality to the local economy. He asserted “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.”
Dr. Jagdeo had lamented the unwillingness of CARICOM states to expand their agriculture industries and ensure greater food security, thereby scaling down an overwhelming food import bill in the Region.
Similar sentiments were expressed by then Presidential Candidate and Adviser, and current President Donald Ramotar, who made reference to the anarchy in Tunisia that was sparked by a food shortage as he spoke of the worldwide challenge to achieve food security.

President Ramotar had promised continuity in governance because the policies of PPP/C Governments are based on successive PPP manifestos; hence this latest initiative to further advance and strengthen Guyana’s ‘Grow More Food Campaign’. It is, after all, the patrimony bequeathed on us all by the unrelenting efforts of our ancestors.

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