–Guyana seeks country’s technology, skilled manpower to advance development in ‘agri’ sector

PRESIDENT, Dr Irfan Ali on Thursday offered some 200 acres of land in Guyana to India for the exclusive production of millets here.

The Head of State extended this concession to India in honour of the United Nations declaring 2023 as the International Year of Millet (IYOM).
Millets are a group of small-seeded grasses grown around the world as cereal. The grains are usually ground to a flour to make various foods.

According to a press release, President Ali made the offer to Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar in New Delhi, India.
At this meeting, Dr Ali asked the Indian Minister to send a team of experts to set up millets farms in Guyana and vowed that assistance will be provided in the production and promotion of the grain in the Caribbean and Latin America.

The President noted that the upcoming Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government conference set for February this year, would be a good opportunity for Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to present India’s vision on Agriculture and Food Security.

Additionally, he said even a virtual address from the Prime Minister to the Caribbean heads would go a long way in promoting and popularising millets in the Caribbean Community.
Along with this, President Ali also extended an invitation to Shri Tomar to visit Guyana and deliver the keynote speech at the CARICOM Agriculture forum slated for August 2023.

Meanwhile, during the same meeting, the Head of State remarked that Guyana, recognising the achievements of India in the agricultural sector, is seeking the technology and skilled manpower in the sector to further push Guyana as a leader in agriculture and agro-processing in the Caribbean.

Dr Ali went on to note that while Guyana has arable lands, freshwater and the right climatic conditions for agriculture, productivity is hindered by the lack of technology and human-resource capacity.

He also sought Advanced Irrigation Techniques and Irrigation Pumps from India, as Guyana is below sea level. The President said India can help Guyana to set up climate-resilient and higher yield seed production of important crops such as sugarcane and coconuts, among other things.

In addition to this, the Head of State mentioned that Guyana is ready to facilitate joint ventures for the dairy sector to India and Guyana’s private sector for exporting dairy products to the United States and other neighbouring countries.

Subsequently, an agreement was reached that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be executed in one month, in which the Government of India has agreed to offer technological support and human-resource skills and capacity-building in four areas, namely, coconuts, rice, sugar and dairy

Shri Tomar said there is great potential for cooperation in agriculture and agro-processing between the two countries, noting that India, which has one of the world’s largest research and development systems in agriculture, would be happy to share its expertise.

He related that the IYOM 2023 will provide an opportunity to increase global production, efficient processing and better use of crop rotation and promote millets as a major component of the food basket.

The minister went on to say that his ministry in India is working to increase millet production and consumption in collaboration with other central ministries, state governments and other stakeholder organisations.

He related that millets provide an alternative food system, especially in times of increasing demand for vegetarian foods, noting that it contributes to a balanced diet.
Further, millets are a rich source of minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium. It also contains appreciable amounts of dietary fibre and vitamins such as folic acid, vitamin B6, ?- Carotene, and niacin.