WINNERS of the Region 10 Agriculture Committee Queen of Gardening competition were recently awarded with their cash prizes. Additionally, the winners and other participants of the competition were awarded with seedlings and other agriculture inputs to continue planting.

The eight-week competition saw participation from at least 40 single mothers. They were given cash crops seedlings and other agriculture inputs and were tasked with planting and nurturing their own kitchen garden. At the end of the competition, they were awarded a slot at the Linden’s Market Day to sell their produce.

Vanessa Glasgow, who copped first place and cash prize of $50,000, told the Guyana Chronicle that she is excited to embark on this new journey as a farmer.

“It felt good being a participant and a winner,” said Glasgow.

The 40-year-old mother of eight added: “I’m glad at my age that I was able to shed light and help other people know that farming is not an old people thing, farming is essential. It is essential to every family.”

Glasgow hopes to share the knowledge she would have gained during the course of the competition with other women and youths in her community, to highlight the importance of agriculture and producing one’s own food.

“I just don’t want this project to be the end. There were 40 participants and if each participant could be a hub in her respective community, this agriculture thing would be really big.”

Meanwhile, head of the region’s agriculture committee, Mark Goring said that, given the success of the initiative, the committee decided to provide the women with more support.

“We decided that the best thing we can do is seek support to give them an opportunity where they can continue what they would have learnt and how they can make money from it,” Goring said.

The women were each given a tray of peppers to continue the farming initiative. Additionally, a contract was provided to the women to supply a local agro-processor.

“We decided to give them one tray of pepper and we negotiated with a buyer to get a company-based market. We have an agro-processor, Pleasurable Flavour, who would have negotiated with them so they could buy all the pepper that is being produced from their farm.”

Goring continued: “Regardless of how much they produce, they are sure to have a market… they have a fixed market price.”

The aim of the project he said was to provide the women with the technical support needed to become entrepreneurs in the region’s growing sector.

“They can now see the business of planting, because they would have learnt so much over the competition in the past week and they want to put what they experience into production and we would have provided that opportunity.”

Recently, the regional agriculture committee organised a monthly farmers’ market in a bid to provide farmers and other stakeholders in the agriculture sector with a safe place to sell their goods.

According to Goring, the gardening initiative builds on the region’s push for agriculture to be its main income-earning activity.

Wismar Market Square is the site of the farmers’ market which will be held later this year. The event is expected to attract cash crop and livestock farmers, agro-processors and other entrepreneurs.