LAST week we looked at the successes of Turmeric and Ginger production in Guyana, using 2015 as a base year for the analysis. This week, NAREI in Focus will look at efforts being made to further catapulting Nutmeg and Black Pepper production in Guyana. This initiative aims to assist in reducing the nation’s food-import bill, looking at the scope for expansion and the efforts by the Institute to ensure annual expansion in production. As part of Guyana’s agricultural diversification trust, small-scale farmers needed to introduce non-traditional commodities into their product mix. Over the years, Guyana has experienced increasing demand for high-value crops due to rising income and changing diets.

In 2015, NAREI started to significantly expand the production of black pepper and nutmeg; first on several trial plots which were then expanded to farmers fields. From the successes obtained, many farmers embarked on the production of these commodities. In 2015, black pepper production stood at 23,860 kg with a value of G$10, 103, 752. Nutmeg, on the other hand, produced 4,286 kg with a value of G$930,099 for the same period. Due to improvements in variety and farming techniques, much improvement has been recorded and in 2019 production soared. Black Pepper recorded production of 43,405 kg with a value of G$30,066,023 while nutmeg recorded a production value of 7,380kg with a value of G$2,721,761.

“The production of non-traditional crops continues to be a promising economic opportunity for reducing rural poverty and unemployment in developing countries, but also an important component for farm diversification strategies…in Guyana much has been achieved in the promotion, production and utilisation of locally produced crops,” Dr. Oudho Homenauth said.

The agriculture sector continues to be an important pillar for food security and sustainability in Guyana and according to the Chief Executive Officer, NAREI, the institute will continue to place more emphasis on advancement of the non-traditional sectors as there continues to be a growing demand for specialty cash crops and spices. This he says, places an opportunity for small-scale farmers to compete on the local and regional markets.

Within the Guyanese economy, the demand for spices has grown significantly over the past few years. As such, NAREI structured its work programme around successful growing of the mentioned spices on a large-scale basis to not only empower more farmers to produce spices on a large scale but to reduce reliance on imports. Since then, scores of farmers have been trained across the agriculture-growing regions through the assistance of the institute’s extension officers.

The non-traditional sectors continue to be an important component in Guyana’s diversification thrust. It is not just about telling farmers to grow and plant. It remains a policy for long-term production and an important component of national development. In recent years, Guyana has been shifting its focus from the production of just traditional crops such as rice and sugar, to the incorporation of non-traditional crops which have an equally viable market.