–country to see increase in food production, more support for farmers next year
GUYANA, in 2024, is set to complete the development of a Regional Data Centre Analytic Simulator for agriculture and food production in the region, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has said.

At a recent event, the Guyanese Head of State who holds responsibility for agriculture in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), said that the centre will combine modern technology, data and experts to efficiently support farmers and increase food production.

“It is one of the most modern environments that will deal with analytics, data collection, data analysis, bringing in scientists and researchers from around the world, so that we can develop an early-warning system for farmers,” Dr. Ali said.
The country is also looking to complete the establishment of a regional food hub.2

“We’ve developed a modern food hub that would integrate our production capacity and capability to meet the regional requirement,” the Head of State said.

Earlier this year at the third regional Agriculture Investment Forum and Expo held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Dr. Ali had said for the Caribbean region to attain its regional food-security goals, innovation and digitisation need to be adopted aggressively.

Leaders are hoping to reduce the region’s massive US$6 billion plus food-import bill by 2025; it is the hope that with proactive initiatives such as these, food production and regional trade can be increased.
Since assuming office, the current government has been keen on using oil revenues to diversify the economy and not just have a country that revolves around oil and gas.

Aside from the data centre, Guyana will also establish a situation room to ensure that strategic investments are made.
With the sector’s growth in mind, the President highlighted the importance of undertaking meticulous data analysis to ensure targeted investments are made to adequately develop the country.
This, he reiterated, will enable evidence-based decision-making and proactive planning to drive production forward.

25 BY 25
CARICOM members have collectively achieved 57 per cent of its ‘Vision 25 by 2025’ target thus far.
This was after each country submitted its report detailing their production data for 2022 for targeted commodities, as CARICOM moves towards lowering the regional import bill by 25 per cent by the year 2025.

Products such as cocoa, dairy, meat, root crops, fruits, and poultry have already reached 96.13 per cent, 84.36 per cent, 72.28 per cent, 70.91 per cent, 70.77 per cent, and 70.19 per cent, respectively, of the targeted production volume set for the year 2025.

Countries such as Guyana, Belize, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Jamaica have made significant advances in the production of commodities such as ginger, turmeric, corn, soya bean, root crops, fruits, cocoa, poultry, meat, fish, table eggs, and dairy products.

Several priority areas have been identified for 2023, among them agricultural insurance and financing, trade and e-agriculture, resource mobilisation, and trade support.

CARICOM leaders are scheduled to meet in Guyana in the new year for the next Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government, and agriculture is expected to be among the key topics up for discussion.