– says President Ali

WITH a proposed allocation of about $22 billion in this year’s National Budget, President Dr. Irfaan Ali had insisted that not only has the agriculture sector been a backbone of Guyana’s growth in the past, but it will remain a critical long-term stimulant for multi-sectoral development.

In a broadcast message to the nation on Saturday morning, the Head of State said that Budget 2022 is geared at significantly boosting the country’s productive sectors, especially as it relates to food.

“We have been speaking at length about our plans in making Guyana not only an agricultural hub, but a food production destination, and ensuring that our future economy is built on a strong foundation of food security, and more importantly, allowing our country to become a net exporter of food,” Dr. Ali said.

The realisation of government’s vision has become far more important, when one considers the state of the world, and the fact that it remains off-track to achieving Sustainable Development Goal Number Two, which speaks to attaining a status of ‘Zero Hunger by 2030.’

According to projections by the United Nations (UN), the number of people affected by hunger is more likely to surpass 840 million by 2030. Added to that, the World Food Programme said that the hunger crisis is largely due to man-made conflicts, coupled with climate change and economic downturns, which have since been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Statistics show that the global health crisis could as much as double the number of persons who go hungry every day.

The UN has stated specifically that “increasing agricultural productivity and sustainable food production are crucial to help alleviate the perils of hunger.”

With the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government setting out to do just that, President Ali said that it requires significant investments that drive transformation and secures institutional support.

“…increasing productivity, reducing the cost of production, expanding and securing better paying markets; now, when you do this…farmers get more disposable income; there is more money. When you reduce the cost of operation, there is greater profitability. When you improve and drainage and irrigation, you get greater yield, less cost for transportation,” Dr. Ali posited.

He said that the government intends to invest in the construction of more farm-to-market access roads, the clearing and opening up of thousands of acres of land to allow for more Guyanese to own their own farm lands, and increase investment and participation in the sector, thereby making it easier for transportation and logistics linkages from field to production.

President Ali said too that the government will be investing in the use of proper technology for the research and development of several non-traditional crops, including soya bean, broccoli, cauliflower, spices and fresh flowers, which are heavily demanded in the tourism and hospitality sector, which continues to grow rapidly.

“…because an offshoot of oil and gas is the number of foreigners who are coming in; the new interests in our country, people are looking at Guyana. So, not only are we working on new flights, but importantly the training and development of Guyanese to work in this sector,” Dr. Ali said, pointing to the fact that the foundation has already been laid for the construction of several new and internationally-recognised hotels.

These new establishments, President Ali reasoned, would also require steady supplies of meats, which highlights the need for investments to ramp up production in the livestock industry, including the establishment of abattoirs across the country. Similar developments would also be needed in the fisheries sector, among others.

“All of these investments are critical…that is what investment does; it catalyses growth, it opens up opportunities and that is why we are focusing on these things…to increase production and revenue streams,” Dr. Ali said.

He explained that increased production would not only result in more disposable income for farmers, but will also translate to an increase in the need for transportation and labourers, all of whom will become critical consumers of retail and other sectors. “That is how sectors are linked,” President Ali affirmed.

He said that persons would only be able to fully understand and appreciate the impact of Budget 2022, if the contents are considered comprehensively.
“We cannot understand the full budget if we dissect it,” the Head of State cautioned.

He continued, “we cannot look at Budget 2022 without understanding the context in which the budget is framed and that is why the Minister of Finance spent so much time going through the challenges surrounding the global economy; challenges surrounding the regional economy, and where Guyana fits into these challenges.”

Going forward, President Ali said that his government has set out to transform food production into an “Agri business”, making it more competitive, diversified and far less susceptible to the damaging effects of climate change.

“We have to take these things into consideration when we develop a food security strategy. And, in that strategy we must build resilience; we must have crops that are more resilient; we must use technology,” Dr. Ali insisted.

Already, the Ministry of Agriculture has begun subsidising the cost of shade-house materials for farmers pursuing sustainable production. The positive impact of this particular investment was reflected in last year’s agricultural achievements, which saw Guyana braving months of unprecedented floods, earning impressive $2.6 billion from the sale of non-traditional crops – a $500 million increase when compared to the previous year.

As more farmers transition to climate-resilient farming, Guyana’s cash crop production figures are projected to climb significantly.

Meanwhile, as Guyana looks to cover at least 25 per cent of the Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) hefty food importation bill, President Ali said that the government will be working to build public-private partnerships, with emphasis placed on encouraging entrepreneurship within the agriculture sector, especially among young people.

“We’re targeting university graduates; graduates from the Guyana School of Agriculture, so when they come out of there, they’re not only job searching, they’re investment-ready and the government is going to support them,” President Ali assured.