Hinterland agriculture, a major aspect of national plan

Georgetown, GINA, May 09, 2008.

Advancing agricultural activities in the hinterland is being given a lot of attention by Government to enable the communities to become self-sufficient and to generally improve living standards.
            Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud said hinterland agriculture occupies a large portion of the national agricultural development plan and through the ongoing ‘Grow-More campaign,’ various areas of support to Amerindian communities are being pursued.
            The main focus initially is helping the communities to attain food security and to remove their reliance on importing food, which is very expensive and contributes to increased cost of living in the hinterland.
In this regard, the ‘Grow-More’ campaign aims to help the communities provide for themselves through technical assistance and the provision of enhanced extension services, agro-chemicals, seeds, planting materials and livestock to initiate agricultural activities in the various areas.
One of the issues affecting hinterland agriculture and which will be targeted in the campaign is control of the acoushi ants through which chemicals will be provided by Government to the producers. 
            It has been explained that the potential for export in some communities will be looked at but taking into consideration the constraint of transportation, emphasis will be given to linking the communities to other economic activities such as mining and forestry.
If this is done, hinterland producers would be able to supply produce to foresters and miners operating in their communities while the possibility of export to nearby villages could also be explored.
In the meantime, it is expected that the transportation problem in the hinterland could be addressed by improved infrastructure or possible initiatives by large investors going into the areas and working with producers.
Livestock activities is another component of the plan for hinterland areas as plans are in place to make available breeding animals to those who are interested since this can help to ensure protein supplements for the communities.
To realise the potential of hinterland agriculture, the Agriculture Ministry is partnering with relevant stakeholders such as the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs since it is expected such activities could raise the standard of living and impact significantly on residents’ food needs.
Last October, Guyana’s agricultural observances were focused on hinterland agriculture during which various events were held to showcase the potential that exits for farming and livestock activities in Amerindian communities.
Agriculture contributes about 35 percent to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), accounts for 43 percent of the country’s total earnings, and provides employment for more than 70 percent of the population.

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