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Spare a thought for its picturesque landscapes and its warm people – but the real beauty and wealth of Region One is its rich soil, and it is gearing up to propel a revolution against the importation of spices.
Region One – this tiny building is generating excitement. It will soon be provided with
equipment and signal the start an ambitious project to process turmeric. The National
Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) has provided farmers with thousands of
rhizomes (root stock), and so over 205 acres of turmeric are now under cultivation in the Region.
The woman standing in front of the building is Sherina Francis of Wanaina
Well known for its organic cocoa project engineered by its women, and the 167 acres of ginger cultivation which draws bargain-hungry huskers up its river twice a month, Region One is quickly becoming known as Guyana’s capital for spices – from turmeric to Black Pepper, and there are others too being considered, such as cinnamon and cardamom. (Photos are by Delano Williams)
Turmeric Factory
Down at Hosororo, just a short distance from Mabaruma – the administrative district of Region One – this tiny building is generating excitement. It will soon be provided with equipment and signal the start an ambitious project to process turmeric. The National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) has provided farmers with thousands of rhizomes (root stock), and so over 205 acres of turmeric are now under cultivation in the Region. The woman standing in front of the building is Sherina Francis of Wanaina.
Black Pepper cultivation
Rhona Smith, a native of Hosororo, checks up Black Pepper under cultivation. Black Pepper, which can sometimes sell for as much as $2000 a pound, is being grown in Region One as an experiment. For now, the yield is handed out at exhibitions to curious Guyanese. Ramnarace Sukhna, who Heads the Spices Project at NARIE, says the fresh black pepper has the same pungency and taste as the processed, imported black pepper. In India, where he studied, Sukhna says it takes three years to get black pepper off the vine, but because of the soil of Region One, you can reap in just one year, using the serpentine method used to grow the vine.
Growing Coffee
folks will tell you stories of coffee plantations of
Region One of long ago, and there are still some of
the trees standing as evidence. Here at the NAREI nursery in
Hososoro, they are trying to get farmers interested once more.
Passing along the hills of Region One, any of the older folks will tell you stories of coffee plantations of Region One of long ago, and there are still some of the trees standing as evidence. Here at the NAREI nursery in Hososoro, they are trying to get farmers interested once more.
Spices Project
These washing and drying houses are in the compound of NAREI at Hosororo. They were built as part of the spices project in Region One. Tons of turmeric from farmers will be processed here, and then they will be sold to big companies such as Beharry, Chin’s, and Continental, which currently import raw material for their manufacturing operations. It is estimated that these and other companies import over US$1 million of raw spices and process it back for the local and export market. Mr Sukha, the NAREI research scientist shares the view of many others: “We should not be importing spices; we have the technical skills, we have the acreage, and we have the planting material to push a spices industry to commercial scale in meet our own needs and begin exporting in 10 years.”
