–if family-run farms to remain viable

THE general consensus is that by pooling their resources, agricultural cooperatives can be run more efficiently and cost-effectively than individual farmsteads.

That’s according to a wide cross-section of stakeholders in the local agriculture sector, during a workshop on the subject of Family Farming held here last week by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation’s (IICA) local office.

Among the participants at the workshop were representatives of the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) local office; the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA); the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC); the National Research and Extension Institute (NAREI); Partners of the Americas (Guyana Chapter); the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA); and the University of Guyana.

Together they examined the findings of a study entitled “Characterisation of Family Farms in the Caribbean: A Study of Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines”, which was done last year by IICA.

According to ICCA, the purpose of the study was to promote a critical analysis of the conditions of family-run farms in the four Caribbean countries; reflect on possible scenarios that allow its strengthening and sustainable development; and debate the design and implementation of public policies that can generate the conditions so that these scenarios become successful and sustainable realities.

The intention is for it to help significantly to improve family farming in the Caribbean region, said IICA local representative Wilmot Garnett.

According to the study, 75 per cent of the farmers here in Guyana can be classified as small-time farmers.

And, one of the objectives of last Thursday’s meeting was to encourage participants and stakeholders in the agricultural sector to put forward viable ideas for strengthening the capacity of family farming to enhance entrepreneurial operations and its  contributions to the national agricultural development.

Consensus on the critical importance of cooperatives to the development of Family Farms was arrived at following group discussions on the way forward.
Participants at the workshop also agreed that there should be an increase in government policies in terms of providing incentives to small farmers such as easy access to land, provision of supporting infrastructure, protection from praedial larceny and access to markets to make production market-driven rather than unplanned and unfocused.

The study and workshop was held by IICA through its Productivity and Sustainability of Family Agriculture Flagship technical assistance project (PIAF).

The overall aim is to position member countries such as Guyana to promote a new generation of differentiated public policies for family farms, including actions to promote innovation, to strengthen the links between small-scale and family farmers and agricultural chains, as well as the participation of women and youth in agriculture and succession planning for future generations, IICA has disclosed.