IT was a bit of a surprise but heart-warming to see hundreds of persons, on Tuesday, filling up the Ministry of Agriculture’s Regent and Shiv Chanderpaul Drive compound to collect seedlings which were available in more than a dozen varieties, free of cost, to engage in planting.

The sight was a scene to behold as persons emerged from the streets of Georgetown on foot, some on bicycles and others in cars, to collect whatever planting materials they could lay their hands on as they forced their way through a thick, unexpected crowd.

Within minutes, the seedlings disappeared but not the crowd. A new order had to be made to satisfy their demands and they waited patiently to collect whatever came. This indeed is a pleasant and deeply encouraging sign that many persons, even in urban areas, are very much interested in agriculture.

While some may be farmers, the vast majority of the crowd on Tuesday appeared to be persons with new-found interest in agriculture. This may be due to the high prices for greens and vegetables at the markets as a result of a number of factors, including inclement weather and the slowdown in the global supply chain occasioned by COVID-19.

Though these factors are beyond the government’s control, the government has not thrown its hand up in the air but has been taking progressive steps to bring relief to both the farmers and consumers.

VAT has been removed on agricultural input and machinery; the excise tax on gasoline and diesel has been slashed to zero; $1B in fertilisers has been given out to farmers; billions of dollars have been invested to improve drainage and irrigation throughout the farming belt and billions more have been provided to farmers affected by flooding. In addition, farmers throughout the country continue to benefit from expert advice through the government’s extension service.

Notwithstanding these worthy interventions by government, the prices for greens and vegetables still remain high and this is also partly due to the fact that prices in Guyana have a tendency of defying gravity. In other words, when prices for commodities sold locally go up due to external pressure, there is a challenge to get it down even after the cause for the increase has been normalised.

Even in these situations, all is, however, not lost to the consumers. Consumers can minimise the cost they pay for greens and vegetables by starting and maintaining a kitchen garden.

Aside from it providing much-needed greens and vegetables for households and helping families to save monies spent on these purchases, households, especially in the low-income bracket, could also earn an income by selling surplus produce.

The crowd at the Ministry of Agriculture was therefore a bright sign for agriculture, and for many reasons. Interestingly, among the lot were lots of young people. This indicates that the perception of agriculture as a profession that requires back-breaking work in the hot sun might be changing.

It is a good opening for the Ministry of Agriculture to project a new and even sophisticated image of agriculture and to encourage as much citizens into farming, whether as a profession or as a pastime.

Here, the ministry must do all it can to change the negative perception of agriculture, especially among young people, who are the future of the profession. It can begin by promoting farmers as entrepreneurs and agriculture as a tool for women empowerment and to escape crime and poverty.

Agriculture is much more that back-breaking work in the fields. Through technology, agriculture has evolved and, today, it is a complex science. Agriculture is also a business and involves engineering, and most importantly, it is the profession that enables our existence on earth.

The current government, in the space of two years, has done a great lot to improve agriculture and maintain food security in Guyana. It has positioned the country on the right path by investing heavily in agriculture and diversifying the economy so as to avoid sole dependence on the oil and gas sector. By doing this, the government is ensuring that the future of Guyana is secured long after oil is no more.