AS part of a broader strategy to deal with rising food prices and limit the middle-men markups, the government is considering introducing more farmers’ markets, Vice-President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has said.

During a Monday afternoon radio programme, the Vice-President highlighted that while production costs for staples such as cassava remain stable, consumers face inflated prices due to excessive markups by the middlemen.

For instance, the Vice-President noted: “Cassava prices are actually cheaper than 2020… when I look at the series, but the farmers in Parika get $40 per pound by the time it reaches Vreed-en-Hoop it’s $120… by the time it reaches Mon Repos market, it gets nearly $200 and something dollars per pound. Is not the farmers often get the money… about three or four middlemen.
“So, we have to do find a better way to allow the middlemen to operate, but not with these high margins. And that’s why we said we may have to have more farmer markets around the country, where the farmers can come and sell directly.”

With rising wages, Dr Jagdeo noted that consumer demand for higher-quality food is growing.
Further, he pointed to the long-term agricultural strategy that will make Guyana self-sufficient and an exporter.
The building out of this key sector will also diversify the economy, he highlighted.

“So, agriculture is going to be a major investment in the future,” he said, pointing to initiatives being rolled out, such as tissue-culture labs, the embryo technology, smart agriculture and using drones to spray pesticides and fertiliser in the fields.

Earlier this week, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali stated that Region One (Barima-Waini) will become the coffee and cocoa capital of the Caribbean, noting that a facility will be built and the government will provide the financing and planting materials.

Region One will also be connected to the $1 billion port and wharf facility, which is being developed at Charity, Guyana, to enhance trade and economic activities in the Essequibo region and the wider Caribbean.

President Ali also announced that the government will invest in a new wharf and a cold- storage facility, so that farmers can store their produce for an extended period.