Religious community lauds Government’s agricultural focus
-pledges support to Grow-More campaign

Georgetown, GINA, May 07, 2008.

Representatives of the various religious faiths in Guyana today commended Government’s heightened emphasis on agricultural development and increased food production being led by the ‘Grow-More’ campaign.
            During their meeting with Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud at the Ministry’s Boardroom, Regent Street and Vlissengen Road, the religious leaders pledged their support to the effort and committed to continued interaction that will see increased agricultural activities across the country. The meeting included representation from the Rastafarian Community, the Bahai Faith and the Inter-Religious Organisation of Guyana, inclusive of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG) and the Guyana Council of Churches. 
            Minister Persaud highlighted the importance of the religious entities’ involvement in the campaign, which is a national effort to stimulate agricultural production. Reference was made to the campaign’s significance in dealing with the current global food crisis which presents an opportunity for Guyana.
            It was noted that other countries are looking to Guyana for food supplies and taking into account the abundance of land and other resources, there is a potential for local producers to meet that need. Another objective of the ‘Grow-More’ effort is to develop the capacity of small farmers so they can be better positioned to take advantage of the marketing opportunities available regionally and internationally.
            In addition, the campaign seeks to make more families and communities self- sufficient since surveys have revealed that each household spends between $2500 to $3000 per week on fruits and vegetables.  
It is against this background that various public organisations are being involved, including the trade union movement and the religious bodies since it is expected that this will help in the coordination of necessary support for producers to grow more.
            The possibility of collaborative farming projects with combined resources of the religious entities and Government was highlighted while an initial supply of planting materials and seeds were given to the various organisations by the Ministry of Agriculture for distribution to their members.
            The religious representatives expressed appreciation for their involvement in Government’s expanded agricultural programme and made additional recommendations. These included the need for increased focus on agricultural teachings in the schools to promote the culture among the younger generation, improved access to farmlands to support farming activities and land access.
They were advised that these issues are already engaging the Government’s attention as discussions have already been held with both the Minister of Education and the Minister within the Ministry to highlight the need for agriculture to be given greater priority in the school’s curriculum while efforts are underway to improved farm-to-market access.
Several bulldozers will be purchased during this year and will be deployed to the regions to assist with upgrading of access dams in various areas for farmers to be better able to transport their produce.
            Additionally, the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commissions is continuing its work to address some of the issues regarding land distribution, access and leasing across the country.
            A Joint Communiqué was established as a result of the meeting today, clearly outlining the contributory factors to the rising cost of food and areas of collaboration to deal with the situation. These include members of the organisations being able to grow more food for their membership and assistance in reducing the cost of food per family unit.
The promotion of small farming projects to encourage young members to get involved in agriculture and the products being made available to vulnerable members of society who may be affiliated to the various religious organisations are another area highlighted in the communiqué.

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