Food strategy to enhance hinterland production and accessibility
-Minister Persaud tells toshaos, farmers during Food and Nutrition Consultation

Maintaining a food secure economy is a vital ingredient to ensure that favourable development takes place, and to ensure that this is maintained, Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud and a team of technical officers on Tuesday hosted the first food and nutrition consultation exercise in the hinterland.
The consultation which was held at the Aishalton Community Centre, Region Nine attracted scores of toshaos, farmers and residents. It was aimed at highlighting the importance of food security to the economy and its development.
Minister Persaud in addressing the gathering underscored the importance of maintaining a food secure nation, in keeping with the Food and Agriculture Organization’s thrust of eliminating world hunger.
He added that as the Food and Nutrition Strategy committee seeks to finalise the document, it is important for each community to be actively involved.
“We recognise what your area can offer us in terms of opportunities in dealing with the food security situation although you are sometimes vulnerable, to bad weather, accessibility and the topography of your landscape when it comes to climate change and your production,” he said.
While emphasizing the importance of the strategy’s implementation, the Agriculture Minister said that it is always important to plan ahead, since there are constraints that can affect Guyana’s food quota.
Hinterland communities are oftentimes the most vulnerable to food insecurities according to Minister Persaud, who noted that if a community does not have enough to eat, production and the community’s development would be hampered.
As such, it is important for the Government to plan ahead hence the crafting of the National Strategy, which is a proactive plan this is directed at improving the food situation of a country and its populace.
“We wanted to ensure that we do not leave hinterland communities behind, since the strategy not only focuses on coastal agriculture and as part of Government’s outlook, it is important that we allow communities, notwithstanding its location, to benefit from the developments that are being implemented,” he said.
Minister Persaud pointed out that if the strategy is to be successful then the immediate issues that concern the development of agriculture, if not addressed can affect food production in the long-term.

Community developments
The 2011 National Budget which was recently passed in the National Assembly will pave the way for continued development of communities, enabling them to record increased production and productivity.
“This year’s, budget gives us an opportunity to continue and expand programmes and policies that are implemented.”
Among the interventions to be implemented by the Agriculture Ministry this year, would include:- having a more enhanced extension service, introduction of new crop-spices; the improved provision of planting materials, since hinterland communities are oftentimes affected by the unpredictable weather pattern; enhanced production in the cattle industry and integration of hinterland agriculture with coastal agriculture.
In line with this, plans are materializing to have an extension staff and a veterinary officer stationed in Aishalton to ensure that the livestock and crops needs of farmers are addressed.
Climate change has been a defining issue of the 21st century and to ensure that the productivity is not hampered- the Government in 2010 expended approximately $47M to address the needs of farmers during the El Nino and La Nina weather conditions.
“Works are also moving apace to see how it is we can make your communities much more climate resilient so that it does not affect your livelihood and food production. We are also looking at how it is we can support you more in livestock,” he said.
Under the Ministry of Agriculture’s breeding programme- Guyana has been able for the first time to embark upon artificial insemination. To date, the Ministry of Agriculture has distributed 150 breeding rams and pigs each, in an effort to further expand the breeding programme.
To ensure that farming areas remain viable, a joint venture between the Governments of Guyana and Spain, through the Spanish Development Agency support, saw the implementation of the $128.6M hinterland rice and beans project at Moco Moco, Region Nine.
This, according to Minister Persaud, is to ensure that the South Rupununi remains food secure, stating that the food security strategy is not meant to change the diet of persons, but rather, to sustain, develop and improve their food situation.

Guyana/Venezuela cooperation indispensable to combat narco-trafficking
-Home Affairs Ministry on verge of developing 2011-2015 drug plan

A Guyanese delegation led by Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee today met with officials from the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela led by Ambassador Dario Morandy to discuss areas of bilateral cooperation in the fight against illicit trafficking and use of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, and chemical precursors and other related offences.
Minister Rohee in his remarks said that the meeting was held at an opportune time since Guyana is at the cusp of developing a successor 2011-2015 National Drug Strategy Master Plan.

“A key component of any narcotics strategy for Guyana must be cooperation and coordination with its neighbours, especially in view of the fact that much of the drug activities associated with Guyana have their origins beyond the country’s borders,” the Minister said.
He pointed out that it is an incontrovertible fact that the suppression of the drug trade cannot start and end with national jurisdictions and therefore regional and international cooperation and coordinated actions is necessary.
Guyana and Venezuela share a border that is approximately 672 kilometers (420 miles) long. There is a vast body of water through which the two countries are connected.
Minister Rohee explained that the monitoring of territories of this size in an era of increasing technological advancement and the acumen of the perpetrators of the trade in illegal drugs would be a challenge for a State that has an abundance of resources much less developing countries such as Guyana and Venezuela which have competing demands.
In recognition of this fact, Presidents Bharrat Jagdeo and Hugo Chavez at a meeting in Caracas in July 2010 came to an agreement that efforts have to be made to enhance and intensify cooperation and coordination between the law enforcement agencies between the two countries.
It is believed that the scourge in the drug trade gives rise to other forms of nefarious activities which include: gun running, kidnapping, murders, and other wanton criminal activities.
It is envisaged that the instruments that will be agreed on to enhance cooperation between Guyana and Venezuela will include assistance in the confiscation of assets of those convicted of the involvement in the trade of illegal drugs, and ensure real time cooperation and coordination between the law enforcement agencies of both countries.
The Minister pointed out that much has been said about Guyana’s implementation of its 2005-2009 National Drug Strategy Master Plan and that many argue that the plan only exists in “the books”.
“I wish to assure every Guyanese that this is not so, of the 36 programmes identified for implementation under the strategy 17 have been concluded, 16 are works in progress and only three have not commenced implementation,” Minister Rohee said.
He added that while it is true that the plan had a duration of five years, however, the implementation of any strategic plan depends on the timely availability of resources.
Last year, significant strides were made with regards to the fight against the drug trade in Guyana. The seizures of cannabis amounted to 191, 877 kilogrammes (Kg) and 537 persons were arrested and charged.
The cocaine seizures on the other hand, amounted to about 72Kg, which resulted in 132 persons being arrested and charged. Additionally, eradication exercises were conducted on 61 cannabis fields (97 acres) with plants weighing a total of 185,221 Kg.
The key elements in the fight against narco-trafficking in Guyana include:

Providing more human and technological resources to the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) and the narcotics branch of the Guyana Police Force (GPF).
Continuing enhancement of CANU’s and GPF’s capacity at all legal and illegal ports of entry as well as exit points.
Dismantling all suspected networks at air and sea ports.
Identifying transshipment routes and use appropriate equipment to interdict suspects.
Enhancing maritime intelligence by establishing relevant databases and profiling of vessels.
Using advanced technology to conduct effective raids and searches.
Continuing to work towards more effective networking with foreign counterparts.
Increasing information and intelligence driven operations.
Continuing to upgrade security arrangements at the Cheddi Jagan and Ogle International Airports to stem the outflow of drugs.
And continuing to ensure accountability and transparency in the activities of law enforcement agencies through regular polygraphing.
Minister Rohee said that, “today further action is being taken to ensure that the instruments that we have in place to facilitate the cooperation and coordination is responsive to the present and emerging modus operandi of the operators of the illegal trade as well as their facilitators.”
Both Guyana and Venezuela are aware of the multilateral instruments that can be used to assist the cooperative efforts, but as neighbouring States, direct communication and cooperation are indispensable to those who are involved in trafficking in narcotics.
Morandy in his brief remarks expressed his Government’s satisfaction with regards to the level of cooperation that the two countries are embarking on.
“This meeting is a continuation of the work that has been going on between both countries with the objective of signing an agreement for the suppression of illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs,” he said.
He added that with this agreement, Venezuela is seeking to strengthen the cooperation with Guyana and to advance the regional integration in the fight against the drug trade that causes much harm to both nations.