LONG before Guyana became an oil-producing nation, agriculture was helping to keep the country going. It put food on our tables, supported families and provided a living for communities across the coast and hinterland. As oil changes the scale of our economy, those contributions remain just as important.
Agriculture Month gives us a reason to look more closely at the relationship between these two sectors. How can the investment that comes with oil help strengthen the work of people who farm, rear poultry and process local produce? For Guyana, that is a practical question about how growth in one industry can create opportunities in another.
One example is the Greater Guyana Initiative (GGI), funded by the Stabroek Block co-venturers ExxonMobil Guyana, Hess and CNOOC. Through its agricultural partnerships, investment from these companies is helping communities address some familiar problems: producing through difficult weather, accessing the support needed to raise poultry and finding a use for fruit that might otherwise go to waste.
GGI’s partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture also supports hydroponic farming in Regions Two, Five and Ten. Hydroponics allows crops to be grown without soil, with water and nutrients supplied directly to their roots. This approach can help farmers produce more while using resources more efficiently. The initiative promotes smart agriculture, with the aim of increasing production, reducing wastage and growing crops locally that would otherwise be expensive to import. It offers another way for investment from the oil sector to support a more productive and sustainable agricultural industry.
In Morawhanna and Smith Creek, Region One, two climate-smart shade houses were commissioned on October 14. Funded by GGI and implemented by the Guyana Marine Conservation Society, the facilities will support women’s groups that plan to grow crops such as celery and shallots, with the intention of dehydrating them for sale.
For the women involved, the opportunity extends beyond growing another crop. Dehydrating produce can give it a longer shelf life and create another way to earn from their work. The facilities also respond to the conditions farmers face. At Morawhanna, for example, water harvesting and conservation measures are designed to help manage supplies during dry spells. That kind of practical support matters when a livelihood depends on the weather.
In Region Nine, the Hinterland Poultry “Egg Sandwich” Project addresses a different need. Through The Consultancy Group and the Rupununi Livestock Producers Association, it supports the inputs and services that poultry producers depend on. A farmer may be willing to expand, but willingness alone cannot resolve problems with hatchery equipment or provide the technical support needed to keep production going. Helping to address those gaps can give local producers a better chance to supply chicken and eggs to their own communities.
Then there is the question of what happens to a good harvest when there is more fruit than can be sold or eaten fresh. The Mango Madness project in Region Nine, developed through GGI’s partnership with The Consultancy Group, is designed to help turn surplus mangoes, jamoon, cashew and citrus into products such as jams, dried fruit and juices. Fruit that has a short selling season can become a product with a longer commercial life, giving farmers another possible market for their harvest.
The connection to oil is clear in these examples. Companies investing in offshore production are also helping to fund work that supports agriculture on land. For someone whose livelihood is in farming, that creates a way to benefit from investment associated with the sector while continuing to work in an industry they already know.
The opportunity now is to build on this progress. Farmers, implementing partners and the Government can work together to help more producers adopt these methods, connect with buyers and grow their businesses. Keeping that collaboration going can help turn today’s investments into lasting opportunities for farming families and their communities.
As we observe Agriculture Month, there is good reason to keep these opportunities in view. Agriculture has supported Guyana through generations of change. Investment through the oil sector can help give today’s farmers more options to grow their businesses and earn from what they produce. That is a connection worth building on as the country’s economy expands.
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.
