Agriculture scientists and researchers were on Monday urged to redouble their efforts to bridge the gap between theory and practice while enabling producers to adopt the technologies necessary for green agricultural development.

The call was made by Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder , during the opening ceremony of a two-day research conference hosted by the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) at Mon Repos. The conference is being held under the theme: “Agriculture, Guyana’s pathway to a green economy.”

The conference is being attended by farmers and farmers’ organisations, chairpersons of boards of agencies of the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), directors of the various MoA boards, heads of agencies such as the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO), scientists and students of the Guyana School of Agriculture and the University of Guyana.
Other speakers at the opening ceremony were Dr. Oudho Homenauth, Chief Executive Officer of NAREI and Dr. Patrick Chesney, Chairman of the Board Directors of NAREI.

Minister Holder noted that the agricultural sub-sector has many opportunities for improving food security, job creation and business prospects for both the hinterland and coastland.
He added: “However we are faced with significant challenges that require solutions based on research and innovation. These challenges necessitate the creation of new adapted green technologies for agriculture and innovation for modernisation.”

He also added: “additionally we must always remember that our work is not only limited to the production and supply of enough food but also the safe and healthy utilisation of same.”

He stressed that given these challenges; research will play a crucial role in providing a sound base for the development and implementation of Guyana’s agricultural policy.
“This is a means to ensure food and nutrition security in a changing world amid the combined pressures of climate change, resource scarcity, biodiversity decline, malnutrition shifting demographics and migration.”

He also urged the research scientists to be futuristic and to be transformative in their research given Guyana’s imminent emergence as a major oil and gas producer.
Dr. Homenauth stressed that the greening of agriculture refers to the increasing use of farming practices and technologies that simultaneously:
Maintain and increase agricultural productivity and profitability while ensuring the capacity for provision of food and the health of the ecosystem.
• Services on a sustainable basis;
• Reduce negative externalities and gradually lead to positive ones;
• Rebuild ecological resources (i.e. soil, water, air and biodiversity natural capital assets) by reducing pollution and using resources more efficiently.

He said that the main aim of the conference was to ensure that a synopsis of the current initiatives to promote green agricultural development is documented as a guide to future sustainable actions/programs to be developed for the agricultural sector in support of the Green State Development Strategy (GSDS).

Dr. Chesney disclosed that the Board of NAREI is re-organising to significantly contribute to a modern agricultural sector through use of environmentally friendly, innovative and relevant research methods and tools for development. He said: “Food and agriculture are drivers of economic growth and wellbeing and we must find ways to work together to achieve those objectives.”

The two keynote presentations on the first day were: Agriculture Health and Food Safety by Mr. Wilmot Garnett, Country Representative of the Inter American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the other presentation by Dr. Chesney, this time on the topic of hinterland agriculture-Guyana’s new agricultural frontier.

The conference continues today with presentations by researchers on topics such as the GSDS, climate smart practices, improving production and productivity, green agricultural practices and agricultural health and food safety practices.