Demands for agricultural products in the Caribbean region brought about the initiative to grow more food in Guyana to satisfy expanded markets for traditional and non-traditional agricultural products. Subsequently, the Grow More Food Campaign was launched in March of last year to provide more food on the market to meet the demand.
The launch of the campaign, which took place at the Charity Neighborhood Democratic Council (NDC) Office in Essequibo, was aimed at that time in finding markets and matching farmers to these markets where the crops cultivated are in demand.
The Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC), which took part in market corresponding, is the lead agency in coordinating the Grow More Food Campaign, which aids in the expansion of national and regional food security, as well as improves the economic status of our farmers, particularly small-scale farmers.
The initiative was not focused only on ensuring that the external market demands are met but, at the same time, to be able to provide, in adequate quantities at affordable prices, vegetables, fruits, fresh meat and fish to local consumers.
Other objectives of the campaign include ensuring Guyana’s food security (during the period when rising fuel prices were causing food  value to increase and food was becoming less accessible to many persons globally (2007-2008), and to  maintain Guyana’s presence in existing markets and capitalise on new market opportunities;
A market-led approach was launched in March of 2009, which consisted of a five-step plan for the Grow More Campaign. These are:
1.  Implementation of US$21.9 M Agricultural Export Diversification (ADP) Project
This project is currently being implemented by the Agricultural Sector Development Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture.  Key aspects of this project include the formation of three clusters, namely: fruit & vegetable, aquaculture, and livestock.  This project aims to increase Guyana’s export growth rate and reduce its volatility by focusing on developing commodity chains on nontraditional agricultural products through the value chain approach.
2. Implementation of US$6M Rural Enterprise & Agricultural Development (READ) project.
This project is also being implemented by the Agricultural Sector Development Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture.  Key aspects of this project include working with rural communities to build their capacity to capitalize on market opportunities.  The overall goal is to improve the livelihood of vulnerable communities.
3.  Increased investment in drainage and irrigation.
Restoring drainage to areas abandoned by farmers.  Over the last two years more than $5 billion has been spent.  Training farmers to manage the maintenance of rehabilitated structures;
4. Enhanced extension service.
The extension service has been revamped to enhance its service to the farmers and through acquisition of vehicles, more qualified officers from Cuba and other agricultural training institutions, and training for all of the Ministry of Agriculture’s staff, who are now more capable to respond to the farmers’ needs and bridge the gap between farming and transfer of technology.
5. Increased availability of seeds and planting materials.
The increased availability of seeds and planting materials and improved livestock breeds has led to the increase of food availability, both for local consumption and for export.
Other areas that were undertaken by the Government through the Grow More Food Campaign are the exports of the other crops sector, since the Campaign has increased, by 32.4%, i.e. from 7,116 metric tonnes in 2008 to 9,423 metric tonnes in 2009.
The first half of 2010 exports currently stand at 7,640 metric tonnes, i.e. more than the overall total for 2008, and was projected to exceed that of 2009. While these increases have mostly gone to our traditional markets, new markets have also been tapped into since the campaign, such as the Dominican Republic and Aruba.
A further comparison of exports revealed that the top primary products had an increase in commodities ranging from 2.7% in pumpkin and 949% in coconuts compared to the previous years of 2007-2009. Farmers production data was deemed crucial to the GMC’s database so that buyers and farmers could have been linked together to satisfy demands of both export and local markets.
The US$21.9m Agriculture Export Diversification Project (ADP) was designed as a support system to farmers for continuous expansion of this sector. The project, which was facilitated by the Ministry of Agriculture, focuses primarily on the other crop sector i.e. the production of fruits and vegetables, especially those value-added products which are processed and packaged for consumption.
Greater emphasis has been placed on agro-processing by the Ministry of Agriculture through collaborative efforts with the Guyana Agricultural Processors Association (GAPA) the Pomeroon Women Agro-Processors’ Association, EMPRETEC, the Rural Women Network (RWN), and other private sector individuals in the expansion of the sector so as to reduce wastage.
Government agencies, such as the National Agriculture Research Institute (NARI), Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA), and Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) have been providing research, training and marketing support towards this initiative.
Many small businesses emerged from the Grow More Food Campaign, most of which ventured mainly into the packaged snack products, such as plantain and cassava chips,
Processing of products that would have been dumped or sold at low prices were also practiced by many individuals and were used to produce locally-made pepper sauce, achar and other spices and condiments.
This has helped to create jobs as well as to stimulate economic activities in villages and small communities, and has also played a significant role in addressing the issue of import substitution.
With the speculated boost to the agro-processing sector at the end of 2009, the value of exports stood at $US3.4M.  Some of the major agro-processing commodities that are currently being exported are: copra, heart of palm, coconut oil (crude), pineapple chunks and sauces.
At present the agro-processing activities comprise of juice-making (TOPCO and NIKKI’s Juices), jams and jellies (Tandy), cereals (Banks DIH), pepper sauce and the condiments (PWAPA), etc.
The Pomeroon Women’s Agro-Processing Association has also expanded their range of products to include virgin coconut oil, which is exported to niche markets in the US.  This has allowed many farmers to have guaranteed markets with these private entities through the arrangement of contracts.
Products in the pipeline for which markets exist include bottled coconut water, dehydrated and desiccated coconuts and other value-added coconut-based products. Significant emphasis is also being placed on dehydrated products using solar drying technology. Products to be evaluated include dehydrated cassava, papaw, various spices and tomato.  Additionally, processing of spices, especially turmeric and ginger, would commence using local raw materials later this year, or in early 2011.
The figures above speak for themselves and show that as a result of increased production from the Grow More campaign, exports have increased, as well as agro-processing, so as to ensure markets for farmers, both locally and internationally.
Guyana Marketing Corporation manages the Ministry’s Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS), which provides latest market price updates to farmers.  At the moment this service is available to Digicel subscribers only.  Discussions are ongoing with GT&T and GMC expects to roll out this service to GT&T subscribers shortly.
Using a Digicel phone, a farmer can type the name of the commodity he requires, as well as market price information [in the message area of his phone], and send it to 1010.  Within a few seconds the latest market price information will appear in a message on his phone.  This will put the farmer in a better bargaining position when the “middlemen” goes/comes to buy his produce.