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.