– for greater efficiency, effectiveness

By Clifford Stanley

THE recently installed Board of Governors of the National Agricultural and Extension Institution (NAREI) intends to reorganise the entity to improve all-round quality, and widen the scope of its agricultural research offer.

Chairman of the Board Dr. Patrick Chesney has disclosed that some changes have already been made, and more are to follow at the conclusion of a soon-to-be-held programme planning retreat to develop NAREI’s strategic plan for the next five years.

Dr. Chesney said that agricultural research is expensive, and that so far, the tax payers of Guyana and occasionally international and regional development partners have supported the growing expenditure, but that going forward, NAREI must become more efficient and effective in the execution of its mandate.

He disclosed that under the guidance of the recently installed Board for 2018-2020, the critical elements of the NAREI research offer is expected to be as follows:
* Centralised and sub-national laboratory services in the fields of soil science, plant nutrition, crop protection, seed science and technologies and plant genetic resources management;
* landscape ecology and management services to assess and respond to the multidimensional challenges of climate change, land degradation, and pollution of watersheds.
* Seed production, storage and supply system as well as crop improvement of native plants of economic importance. Non-native crop plants will be on 100% cost-recovery basis.
* Agricultural data and information analytics to aid evidence-based decision making, intellectual property rights, patenting.

He said, too, that Article 16 of the Constitution of Guyana speaks to Co-operativism as the dynamic principle of socialist transformation and shall pervade and inform all interrelationships in the society.

“Co-operativism,” he said, “is rooted in the historical experience of the people; is based on self-reliance; is capable of releasing the productive energies of the people; and is a unifying principle in the total development of the nation.”
He said that Article 36 States also: “In the interests of the present and future generations, the State will protect and make rational use of its land, mineral and water resources, as well as its fauna and flora, and will take all appropriate measures to conserve and improve the environment.”

He added: “On your behalf, farmers and farmers’ organisms, it is my intention as Chairman to ask the NAREI Board to support the installation and wise use of co-operative and collaborative research infrastructure and programs in all the administrative regions.”
This, he said, will establish the universality of NAREI-coordinated food and agricultural research at the sub-national level and increase impact because it directly caters to your needs.

He added: “I am advised that NAREI has a presence in all regions, so the transformation ought not to be difficult.”

He also announced a decision to reverse  an unwise and unpatriotic and unilateral decision by NAREI to withdraw the services of researchers to lecture at the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA).

He said: “I am here to tell the GSA that the NAREI Board has heard the cry of your CEO and has resoundingly agreed to restore GSA’s access to NAREI’s researchers.”
He also announced plans for a young researcher fellowship programme to support the transformation of NAREI into a world-class institute and service.