The opposition Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) has called on the government to implement social protection programmes to help farmers.“Since most of our rice and other farmers are from the rural areas, the loss of the Venezuelan market will set them back even further if no measures are put in place to assist them,” the party said in a statement for World Food Day.
“Given the vital role of farmers in a country whose backbone of the economy still remains agriculture is critical,” the PPP stated.
The party said that social protection measures linked to agriculture must be put in place to ensure workers and farmers in Guyana can truly enjoy the “good life” promised by APNU+AFC coalition.
The party noted that World Food Day is meant to raise public awareness about hunger challenges and encourage people worldwide to take action in the fight against hunger.
The PPP said it was satisfied with this year’s theme which recognizes the inter-connection and inter-action between agricultural and social protection.
“Farmers in today’s world need access to information, credit and greater market access.
“Farmers also need to have access to science, innovation and knowledge,’ the PPP stated.
The party pointed to the publication “Achieving Zero Hunger – The Critical Role of Investments in Social Protection and Agriculture” jointly prepared by the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) in the World Food Programme (WFP). It said the publication made a strong case for social protection measures such as, cash transfers.
The party said its social protection measures were on target especially for residents in the rural committees.
Among other measures, the PPP pointed to its $10,000 per school child initiative.
“The peripheral criticisms notwithstanding, the fact of the matter is that since the poor tend to have more children they would have benefitted more in absolute terms,” the PPP stated.
The cash grant programme was discontinued by the current administration, which dismissed the initiative as a pre-election political gimmick by the PPP.