–with launch of COVID-19 relief kitchen garden initiative

AS the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect many Guyanese, the Rural Affairs Secretariat of the Ministry of Agriculture recently launched its COVID-19 Relief Kitchen Garden Initiative, with the aim of providing nutritional balance to families, fostering less use of toxic chemicals at a time when maintaining a healthy immune system is important.
This initiative is part of the Ministry’s Rural Entrepreneurial Agricultural Project (REAP), according to a press release from the ministry.

Minister within the Ministry of Agriculture with responsibility for Rural Affairs, Valerie Adams-Yearwood, while encouraging persons to start their own kitchen gardens, said that the Ministry intends to assist persons with their efforts.

“Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, has implemented the REAP (Rural Entrepreneurial Agricultural Project), which will be implemented in all Regions of Guyana. The Kitchen Garden Initiative, Component Two, will see persons receiving assistance to acquire small garden tools, seeds, and irrigation and other planting material to get their kitchen gardens going,” Minister Adams-Yearwood said.

According to the release, with the establishment of the Rural Affairs Secretariat in June 2019, the ministry was able to launch its first Kitchen Garden competition last November in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), more specifically the East Coast and East Bank of Demerara; in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), from Fort Wellington to Bush Lot; Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), from Number 53-Union to Kildonan; Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), from Lethem to St. Ignatius; and in Region Ten (Upper Demerara-Berbice), Linden.

The release said that with the success of the previous initiative, and preparations for the second leg of the competition underway, Minister Adams-Yearwood has made a few adjustments to the initiative to offer assistance to persons finding it hard to maintain their food supply, due to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
And with many persons now out of jobs, Minister Adams-Yearwood said, it may be difficult for them to feed their families with the necessary fruits and vegetables to maintain a healthy immune system.

ACCESS TO NUTRITIOUS FOODS
“It is important for persons to have access to nutritious fruits and vegetables to maintain healthy immune systems, as these help your body to fight off diseases and viruses,” she said, adding: “This is one of the benefits of having a kitchen garden; access to a variety of healthy and nutritious fruits and vegetables.”

She further stated kitchen gardens help persons to save money, reduce their trips to public spaces like markets and supermarkets, and promote recreational activities among family members.

The ministry said that over the past few weeks, other regional and agricultural officials have been calling on persons to return to kitchen gardening as a means of ensuring their families are fed, especially during crises like the one currently affecting the country.
Persons interested in this initiative can uplift an application form from either the security of the Ministry’s head office on Regent Street, their Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) offices, or regional agricultural officers. Forms are also available on the ministry’s website at: http://agriculture.gov.gy/publications/kitchen-garden-project-entry-form/.

After a verification process, registered persons will be given assistance in the form of vouchers to acquire seeds, small garden tools, irrigation material and other planting materials needed to either establish or improve an established kitchen garden; said vouchers are redeemable at local or Regional suppliers. Closing date for registration is June 6, 2020.