Region 10’s agricultural transformation

Dear Editor,

Region 10 is entering a new chapter in its economic development, with agriculture emerging as one of the most promising sectors for transforming the region’s economy, creating employment and building greater food security for Guyana.

For decades, Region 10 has been strongly identified with bauxite mining and forestry as its main economic outputs. While these sectors remain important, the region possesses significant agricultural potential that is increasingly being brought into production through improved infrastructure, investment, access to markets and greater government attention to agricultural development.

This massive expansion in the agricultural sector that is presently taking place in Guyana must be credited to vision and leadership of His Excellency the President, Dr Mohammed Irfaan Ali and the effective implementation by the Honourable Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha, who must be commended for his outstanding management and performance for the sector. It must also be noted that this effective and transformative expansion of agriculture taking place in Region 10 must now be treated not simply as a rural development initiative, but as a major economic strategy for this region and keeping in line with this PPP/C’s regional food-security objective.

The agricultural expansion taking place across Region 10 has the potential to create employment for young people, farmers, skilled workers, equipment operators, technicians, truckers, entrepreneurs and small businesses. The objective must be to ensure that young people in Linden, Kwakwani, Ituni, the Upper Berbice and Demerara River areas, Rockstone, Great Falls, 47 & 58 Miles, Mabura, River’s View, Linden-Soesdyke communities and surrounding areas can see agriculture as a modern, profitable and respected career—not simply traditional subsistence farming.

With modern machinery, irrigation, technology, improved seeds, fertiliser distribution, technical training and access to finance through the Guyana Development Bank loans which would go into action soon^[1], agriculture can become an attractive business opportunity for a new generation of farmers. Just two weeks ago the Hon. Minister Zulfikar Mustapha visited Kimbia, where he handed over a combine machine, eight agricultural tractors with the required agricultural attachments to the eight villages in the upper Berbice River^[2] and encouraged the villagers and farmers to expand their agricultural activities, especially in the production of red beans and black eyes peas, which there are ready to market those products.

There are two new silo systems set up in those areas, one at Tacama and the other at Kimbia.^[3] Hundreds of millions were expended in the construction of the silos. The real economic opportunity lies not only in growing crops, but in developing the entire agricultural value chain. It must also be noted that major development is taking place in dairy production with a new dairy farm established at Moblissa and at Ebini in the Berbice River.

Region 10 should increasingly become a centre for:

• Commercial crop production
• Soya bean and grain production
• Livestock development
• Dairy production
• Poultry and feed production
• Agro-processing
• Cold storage and warehousing
• Packaging and distribution
• Agricultural equipment services
• Transportation and logistics
• Agricultural input supply
• Food processing and manufacturing

This approach would allow more of the economic value generated by agriculture to remain within Region 10.

A farmer who produces a crop should not be the only person benefitting. The mechanic repairing the tractor, the trucker transporting the crop, the warehouse storing it, the processor adding value and the small business supplying inputs should all become part of the economic chain.

I believe that Region 10 is in the position to help feed Guyana and by extension the CARICOM region. With Guyana’s rapid economic transformation, it is creating increased demand for food, livestock feed and agricultural products and Region 10 has an opportunity to contribute significantly to meeting that demand. Just look at what is presently taking place with the expansion of soya bean and corn production which are being cultivated in the intermediate savannah, particularly important because locally produced feed ingredients can support the growth of Guyana’s poultry, livestock and other agricultural industries.

The PPP/C administration understands that agricultural expansion cannot succeed without reliable infrastructure, therefore, that is why you are witnessing the improved roads linking farms and communities to Linden and the wider national transportation network is critical. Better access to electricity, water, telecommunications, storage and transportation will also determine how quickly agriculture can expand.

The continued development of the Linden–Mabura corridor and surrounding hinterland areas therefore has significance beyond transportation: it can become an important foundation for opening new agricultural lands and connecting producers to markets.

The region should not be forced to choose between mining, forestry, agriculture, manufacturing and services. Instead, the objective should be to develop a diversified regional economy in which these sectors support one another. The success of the agricultural drive in Region 10 must not only depend on government investment alone, but also private investors, farmers, cooperatives, financial institutions and international partners must be encouraged to participate in the agricultural transformation of Region 10.

Land must also be brought into productive use through transparent and efficient mechanisms that encourage serious agricultural investment while protecting the interests of local communities.

I also believe that one of the most important objectives must be creating opportunities for the young people of Region 10.

Agriculture today is not simply about planting and harvesting by hand. Modern agriculture involves machinery, agronomy, engineering, logistics, finance, information technology, marketing and business management.

Region 10’s young people must therefore be trained and equipped to participate in every part of the agricultural value chain. Finally, while I give an overview of what is taking place in Region 10 on the expansion of agriculture, however, we all should be very pleased with the massive expansion and transformation of agriculture that are taking place in Guyana.

References

1. Development bank to expand opportunities in agriculture, tourism & manufacturing – Minister Ally – Department of Public Information, Guyana — dpi.gov.gy ↩
2. Eight tractors handed over to Berbice River farmers | Guyana Standard — www.guyanastandard.com ↩
3. Kimbia Bean Facility to strengthen farmers’ access to storage, processing – Department of Public Information, Guyana — dpi.gov.gy ↩