DR. Sam Narayan, A Guyanese diasporan exploring investment opportunities in large-scale farming in Guyana, in a discourse with agriculturist, Pt. Ravi Persaud and others, was waxing lyrical on the benefits of cultivating turmeric through large-scale farming, for both local consumption and the export market.
According to Narayan: “Guyana’s alluvial, loamy soil, abundance of rainfall and warm temperatures present favourable conditions for commercial farming of organic turmeric; export potential is enormous.”

A report generated by the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) in 2010 posits that the agriculture sector is the pulse of Guyana’s economy, and the stability of the industry has contributed significantly to the economic and social stability of the country.
In 2010, NAREI and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) finalised a Letter of Agreement for the establishment of a National Information Sharing Mechanism (NISM) on the implementation of the Global Plan of Action (GPA), and the preparation of an assessment on the state of Plant Genetic Resources For Food and Agriculture (PGRFA) in the country.

With the technical assistance of FAO, NAREI has coordinated a country-wide, participatory process that led to the publication of the NISM portal and database, a unique source of PGRFA information and knowledge in the country, and of a second report that assesses the state of conservation and use of these resources in Guyana since 1995. Funding for the project was jointly provided by the FAO and NAREI through the previous PPP/C Government. The second report on the state of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture in Guyana was compiled and documented by Cleveland R. Paul of NAREI’s Department of Plant Biotechnology and Genetic Resources. The National Information Sharing Mechanism is a network of Guyanese institutions involved in the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, headed by Dr Odho Homenauth.

One strategic objective of this grouping is to document, in a systematic way, information on activities related to the implementation of the 20 priority areas of the Global Plan of Action (GPA) for the conservation and sustainable use of PGRFA. Its overall goal is to share information related to plant genetic resources to facilitate the implementation of the GPA in Guyana. The genesis of the project dates back to NAREI’s Focal Point activities for the establishment of the NISM, and included an initial meeting of strategic stakeholders held in December 2010, during which an informal National Steering Committee was set up, and a tentative work plan drafted. The first stakeholders’ workshop was conducted in March 2011 to formalise a work plan for both the NISM and the preparation of the national assessment, build commitment among stakeholders, and discuss with the participants indicators and monitoring tools internationally agreed.

The second stakeholders’ workshop was held in June 2011 to train stakeholder representatives in the use of a computer application for collecting and sharing information and knowledge on PGRFA associated with the internationally agreed indicators. Stakeholder representatives helped to refine the project’s work plan and define milestone dates for their contributions to the data gathering process. CD copies of the computer application, with an updated built-in knowledge base for monitoring the GPA implementation were finally distributed to all participants. Agriculture has always been prioritised by successive PPP/PPP/C governments as a main developmental plank, and the major source of food security. A report in the April 28, 2014 edition of this newspaper related that the Agriculture Ministry was targeting the production of 10,000 tonnes of turmeric and ginger in 2014.

According to the news report, a component of diversification of the crop sector, the Ministry of Agriculture, through NAREI, has been specifically focusing on increasing production and productivity of some of the traditional agriculture crops, as well as trying as far as possible to reduce the importation of crops which can be grown locally.  The report informed, inter alia, that cultivation of spices is one aspect of diversification, and the ministry has especially targeted the hinterland communities, with commodities like turmeric, ginger, and black pepper having been identified for cultivation in in Regions One, Seven, Eight and 10, to reduce the approximately US$2M in annual importation of such commodities. The Agriculture Ministry, however, subsequently developed value-added processes that eventuated in increased production, especially with the production of powdered turmeric and ginger. The new administration has demonstrated its commitment to boost the agriculture sector, and potential investors like Dr. Sam Narayan are taking note and exploring options.