Dear Editor,
WORLD Food Day was celebrated on 16th October, 2022 in more than 150 countries worldwide to commemorate the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), and, this year, there is a resounding plea to all to ‘Leave No One Behind’ through ‘Better production, Better Nutrition, a Better Environment and a Better Life’. This government and the Ministry of Agriculture have proactively implemented this thrust for improved food and nutrition security, both locally and regionally since it took office in August 2020.

This government has worked diligently, and endured sleepless night to resolve the plethora of debilitating issues which have threatened to annihilate the agriculture sector. What would have happened to this sector if the ‘Coalition’ had managed to successfully rig the 2020 Elections and remained in power? The answer is obvious.

The ‘Coalition’ had been mercilessly slashing the agriculture budget since they took office, and displayed complete disdain for this sector which they perceived as the PPP support base. Apart from the insane and malicious budget cuts, they taxed the sector with increased land rent and VAT on machinery and related supplies. With the windfall from oil, the shortsighted ‘Coalition’ saw no need for agriculture.

Agriculture crops are always invariably affected by adverse weather conditions, and the recent floods, four in all in 2021 and 2022, have devastated and almost wiped out crops such as sugar. But timely intervention by the Minister of Agriculture and his government, and the deployment of much-needed resources have rescued the sector. The Minister of Agriculture and all the other ministers, including the President and the Vice-President, visited all the affected areas and provided on-the-spot relief. Never has this massive scale of government intervention ever taken place in Guyana. The government spent billions of dollars on drainage and infrastructure, roads, cash grants and relief, subsidies and free distribution of seeds, plants, chemicals and fertilisers. Today, the sector has fully recovered, with production in traditional and non-traditional crops increasing rapidly, and sugar production is increasing at an enormous rate. It must be mentioned that the entire world was engulfed in the COVID-19 pandemic for the past three years, but this government has overcome this as well. Moreover, the minister is convinced that the sugar industry will achieve 100,000 tonnes in the next three years, thanks to this government’s tenacity and persistence. Today, also, our Regional Leaders have full confidence in the ability of our Agriculture Sector to drive the food security of the region. Minister Mustapha has stated in his address on World Food Day that Guyana is well positioned to become the breadbasket of the Caribbean.

In order to make this a reality, this government has implemented both short and long-term policies, and made increased budgetary allocations to ensure not only the survival but the continued progress of the sector. The Minister of Agriculture Mr. Zulfikar Mustapha emphasised the fact at Albion when he stated that the government has worked above and beyond to strategically place Guyana on the road that leads to the realisation of ‘Vision 25’, which is aimed at reducing the region’s food import bill by 2025. The minister never looked at things in isolation. He stressed that in fulfilling this vision, there will be sustainable employment opportunities for youths, women and other vulnerable groups, and he even went further when he said that it is not only about increasing food production, but making food accessible and affordable, and improving the nutrition of all Guyanese, thereby leaving no one behind. This encapsulates the very theme of World Food Day, and, quite remarkably, the very objectives the government has been vigorously pursuing over the past two years, and even before the advent of the ‘Coalition’.

The FAO Director-General, in his World Food Day message, spoke about the ‘need to empower the most vulnerable, including small-scale producers, and improve access to training, incentives, science, data, technology and innovation so that small-scale holders can be at the center of this transformation’. This is exactly what Minister Mustapha has been emphasising since 2020. He realised that the small-scale farmers have a major role to play in the transformation of the agriculture sector, and he must be applauded for his keen perception and wisdom of what is required.

Yours sincerely,
Haseef Yusuf