Dear Editor,
I’VE taken note of a letter published in the Tuesday, March 15, 2022 edition of the Kaieteur News, titled: “Agriculture sector being neglected; inquiry needed.” Please allow me some amount of space in your newspaper to respond, point by point, with the facts and achievements of the sector since August 2020 when the President Ali-led Government took office.
The writer spoke about the US $12.5 million Enmore Packaging Plant being leased to someone he refers to as a political figure. I can say with absolute certainty that the representatives of the company in question never conversed with the author of this letter about their political affiliation, nor have they publically categorised themselves as political figures. This matter has also been addressed several times by the President, the Minister of Agriculture, and the company that acquired the lease. The government’s decision to relocate the packaging operations from Enmore to Albion forms part of its plan to consolidate the sector to make it more viable and profitable. Rather than making the workers redundant, as was the case when the previous administration closed the estates, the President ensured that one of the terms of the agreement was for the 42 workers attached to the packaging facility to be retained and trained for their new roles when the facility is up and running. An additional 458 jobs will also be created by the company over time, resulting in a significant boost in employment along the East Coast of Demerara.
The issue of sheet piling has also been addressed several times. As a matter of fact, last August the ministry responded to the issues regarding the retendering for sheet piles. In that response, it was noted that “the NDIA, as the procuring entity, went to public tender for steel sheet piles with specifications set by its technical staff. The NDIA had asked for an extension of the closing date, which was granted by the NPTAB. The bids were closed and evaluated; Cabinet granted its “no objection” in keeping with the Procurement Act. The NPTAB then issued the award to the successful bidder, who subsequently wrote withdrawing from the process as he could no longer provide the sheet piles at the tendered price.”
“The NDIA requested to retender a second time and this was granted by the NPTAB. The new open tender went through the same process as the first and it was found that the prices quoted by the bidders were even higher, as a result of the increased cost of global shipping. The NDIA then proceeded to retender the third time, but inadvertently omitted to annul the second tender. The results of the third tender, however, were the same, the prices were exorbitantly high and above the budgetary allocation for that capital project. To reiterate, this issue was one of the exorbitantly high prices for these imported materials at the required specifications and insufficient budgetary allocations.”
The trawler-licensing issue is another matter that was addressed extensively. This issue has long been put to bed as all parties involved were able to come to an amicable resolution.
Land grants were also mentioned. As someone who not so long ago engaged the ministry for assistance with accessing farmlands to rear pigs, I wish to enlighten the writer that the Ministry of Agriculture does not have the authority to ‘grant lands.’ The Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission is the executing body responsible for the country’s land resources. Farmers in the MMA Scheme, however, are granted leases for agricultural purposes after they would’ve applied and are found to have satisfied the requirements set by the MMA. The Ministers of Agriculture and Legal Affairs mentioned that when the government took office, a massive backlog of land applications in the MMA Scheme was discovered. This backlog is currently being addressed by both ministries.
I was quite amused when the writer mentioned the closure of the four estates and the pump fiasco. Concerning the closure of the four estates, the writer needs to direct that question to the former president and government, as those estates were closed and thousands of workers made redundant during their tenure. This government, the PPP Government, understanding the importance of sugar has moved to consolidate and resume operations at some of those closed estates. Thousands of persons have already been rehired and billions invested to rehabilitate and restore sugar factories and fields.
The issue with the pumps should also be directed to the previous government, more so the former Minister of Agriculture. It was during his tenure that this deal was made and only when the PPP government took office and Minister Zulfikar Mustapha assumed the role as Agriculture Minister that this matter was brought to the attention of Guyanese citizens. Minister Mustapha’s 2022 Budget presentation exposed in its entirety the many shortcomings of the contract for those pumps. The matter has since been brought to the attention of the Indian High Commissioner to Guyana and the Attorney General, who is working with the Ministry of Agriculture to resolve the matter.
Farm relief attributing to floods and payment for flood work not done were also mentioned. Last year, Guyana experienced its most devastating flood, a flood that destroyed almost 90 per cent of the agriculture sector. After consultation with affected farmers and other stakeholders, the government decided that the best way to assist farmers was to distribute flood-relief grants to those who were affected. Over 40,000 farmers and households benefited from this initiative. In addition to the grants, the NDIA also worked around the clock to drain flooded farms and pastures, clear blocked and silted waterways, and empolder and rehabilitate dams and farmlands across the country. The GLDA also worked with livestock farmers to feed, relocate and provide medical services to their animals, free of cost.
The NDIA, like any other government entity, has limited resources and as such, engaged persons in the affected areas to assist with drainage works during this period. The engineers were tasked with supervising these operations and farmers and affected residents were engaged to verify that the works were properly done.
The writer also thought it wise to pad his letter with rumours and alleged complaints about the LBI Estate and that “some large Middle Eastern companies are being recruited to establish agriculture in Guyana at the estates.”
If the writer possessed any ethics, he would’ve investigated this supposed rumour before making such a statement. It should be noted and made clear that the government has not made any pronouncement suggesting that it is moving in a direction that will see the closure of the LBI estate. The government engaged senior officials from the Middle East seeking to build stronger relations and recruit investors for various sectors, agriculture included. These engagements were widely publicized, so for the writer to determine that these companies will somehow take over these estates and displace those employed there is both ridiculous and baseless.
The writer’s mention of these alleged rumours was, in my opinion, a malicious attempt to cause some amount of instability in the industry, a known tactic of the opposition and its agents who operate under aliases and are often featured in this particular newspaper.
Mr Editor, the writer said that there were also complaints about works not being completed on time. What the writer failed to mention, was that the Honourable Minister of Agriculture has on several occasions engaged delinquent contractors on this. With the extended rainy period last year, there were some delays with many construction and rehabilitation projects. These contractors approached the ministry for extensions that were granted only after the engineers and project consultants confirmed that the delays were due to the inclement weather. Other contractors who had delays because of their recognizance, were cautioned and the NPTAB was also notified for future reference.
What can be assumed is that those contractors who were allowed to dillydally in the past without any consequences and are no longer able to operate in such a manner because of the government’s no-nonsense approach to the completion of projects that are funded by taxpayers’ dollars, are claiming that those receiving contracts “lack the capacity” to execute these large projects.
The millers cartel and farmers not being given a fair deal for paddy comments were also misdirected ones. The government on several occasions had engaged the millers, making representation on farmers’ behalf about the prices being paid for paddy. Government ministers have also engaged farmers on this issue.
The issue of low catches has also been addressed by the Ministry of Agriculture in the press several times. Even though the issue of low catches is a global phenomenon caused by different factors such as climate change, the ministry has engaged the EPA and the FAO on the issue and the FAO is currently conducting a study to determine the factors causing low catches in Guyana’s waters. The government has also engaged the Surinamese Government, which resulted in fisherfolk being granted licences to fish in Surinamese waters for the first time in decades.
The writer said there was “a lack of support for the poor and deserving farmers to encourage farm and aquaculture production,” another statement seeking to misinform the general public. Last December the ministry released a statement giving an update on phase one of the brackish-water, shrimp- production project. The release stated that at the time, the construction of 63 out of the 74 fish ponds for the rearing of brackish- water shrimp had been completed.
Shrimp farmers who benefited from this initiative have indicated that they are already reaping the benefits. The successes of this initiative are also reflected in the production figures from December 2021 to January 2022, which shows an increase by 166 per cent. There has also been a further increase from January 2022 to February 2022 by 28 per cent. In January 2022, production figures stood at 35,170kg while in February 2022, production figures were 45,040kg. The average monthly production figure for 2021 was only 9,333kg.
The ministry has also been offering support to farmers through improved drainage and irrigation services, improved breeds and genetic materials for livestock and poultry, the removal of VAT for agricultural machinery and inputs, the reduction of land rental and D&I charges, the resumption of the seed and acoushi ant distribution campaign, the blocked drainage programme for farmers in the Pomeroon, countless donations of farming equipment and inputs to small farmers and farming groups in rural communities, the distribution of flood relief grants, the implementation of the Farmers’ Markets, and the introduction of improved rice varieties offering higher yields and improved resistance to pests and diseases. Low-yielding farmers were also able to achieve higher yields through training from the GRDB. Many farming communities now have access to agro-processing facilities and more markets, both locally and regionally, for their produce, while farmers are now able to benefit from farmers’ field schools and training exercises from NAREI and the GRDB. Shadehouse materials have also been made available at affordable prices to farmers.
Persons graduating from GSA and UG are now able to benefit from the ‘Agriculture and Innovation Entrepreneurship Programme,’ a programme that allows youths to plant high-value crops such as carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower, utilizing shadehouse techniques, given the impacts of climate change on the sector.
With all these known and well-publicised interventions, the writer has proven himself biased and ill-informed by saying that the government is giving lip service to the people of this country and is working against the poor and underserved.
The government’s commitment to not only developing the local agricultural sector, but to lowering the import bill of all CARICOM member states should not be questioned. Prior to 2015, Guyana held the lead position on agriculture in CARICOM; a position that was willingly surrendered by the David Granger-led administration. It was only when President Ali assumed office that Guyana rescued that position and our President is once again leading the charge in CARICOM. A Ministerial Taskforce was also set up to guide policy direction in this regard. That task force is being chaired by Minister Zulfikar Mustapha. At the just concluded CARICOM Heads of Government Summit in Belize, Guyana’s agricultural sector was highly celebrated. Many countries in CARICOM are now looking to Guyana for leadership and guidance in Food Security and Food Provision matters.
The writer’s call for an inquiry into the neglect of the agricultural sector should’ve been made during the May 2015 to August 2020 period, when the sector saw a massive decline in production, budgetary allocation, infrastructural projects and farmers’ engagement.
If the writer is a real person who lives in Guyana, then he/she should engage the ministry to learn more about what is happening, rather than dissect bits and pieces of issues published in the press that were already addressed by the ministry. It appears as though the writer bears the characteristics of the proverbial ostrich and has his/her head buried in the sand.
The agricultural sector is moving rapidly and Guyana will once again be considered the breadbasket of the Caribbean.
Yours truly,
Celestine Johnson
