GUYANA’S rice sector has seen phenomenal advances over the last few years and in addition to plans for the turnaround of the sugar sector, Head of State, Mr. Donald Ramotar disclosed that “good possibilities” are emerging for increased exports of non-traditional crops.

“We are looking at other rice markets and we are very optimistic that we will find more markets to deal with increased production. We are also looking at the increased exports of our non-traditional crops. There are some good possibilities emerging there,” he said at a news conference last Friday.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
The President referred to the progress that is also being made in the greater application of science and technology to enhance the agriculture sector on the whole.
Yesterday, Mr. Ramotar commissioned the sector’s Bio-Control and Tissue Culture Laboratories, based at the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara.
Two weeks ago, the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA)’s Veterinary Services Laboratory at Mon Repos, was also commissioned. The state-of-the-art facility, which costs an estimated $326M, is fully equipped with world-class equipment and testing apparatus. It is a facility to deal specifically with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of animal diseases and it will not just boost the economy, but also enhance local food security.
With an average food import bill of around US$4 billion annually, the country will be poised to take advantage of this niche market by offering the assurance of quality via the services offered at the lab.
“We want to apply more and more science and technology in agriculture,” he stressed.
The President maintained that these undertakings represent another move towards the achievement of greater local food security.

LOOKING AT FEASIBILITY
Agriculture Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, in an invited comment, confirmed that a non-regional market has expressed interest in Guyana’s non-traditional agricultural crops.
“We are looking at some possibilities of exporting non-traditional crops. A non-regional market is interested. We are looking at feasibility in terms of shipping and price,” he said.
Currently the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) continues to support stakeholders in the non-traditional agricultural sector. GMC provides exporters of non-traditional agricultural products with marketing advice, assistance for sourcing supplies, harvesting, cleaning, packaging and facilitating logistical arrangements for exports.
Last month, the minister outlined Guyana’s Agriculture 2020 Strategy, and alluded to the much needed increase of non-sugar and non-rice exports by “a minimum of 25 per cent by 2020.”
The strategy proposes a five percent growth in the agriculture sector for the next five years which will see Guyana solidifying its capacity through a five-tier plan.
The plan is referred to as the ‘F5’ Approach. F 1 and 2 will address issues of consolidating Guyana’s food and nutritional security statuses respectively. F3 will see the exploration of utilising agricultural products for the formalisation of an energy sector to drive the energy demand of the industry.
Meanwhile, F4 will address the use of agricultural products in cosmetics and medicine. The minister disclosed that there is currently a demand from the European markets for Virgin Coconut Oil for the cosmetic industry, which he believes Guyana can provide. Finally, the fifth approach, F5, will address the use of agricultural products for furniture and other craft.
“Agriculture should remain the pillar of Guyana’s economy, even with the steady growth of other emerging industries,” Ramsammy said.

(By Vanessa Narine)