Establishment of FAO Office in Guyana, important – Agri Minister
- reflects recognition of Guyana’s efforts to advance agriculture

Georgetown, GINA, November 30, 2007.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed with the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations for establishing an FAO office in Guyana, marking a significant achievement for agricultural development.
            The MOU was signed by Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud and FAO’s Director-General Dr. Jacques Diouf during the 34th Session of FAO Conference in Rome, Italy, from November 22 to 28.
            The agreement was inked after several months of intense discussions and negotiations. During the final round of deliberations, Minister Persaud highlighted the importance of having the office established and operable in the first quarter of 2008.
            The Minister said the development is FAO’s “recognition of Guyana’s strategic role in the transformation of regional agriculture and also in recognition of the work being done and the importance of agriculture to the national and regional economies, especially in light of food security.”

            Reference was made to the upcoming CARICOM Conference to be held in Guyana on December 7 during which the increasing cost of food in the Region and Guyana’s proposals to help address the problem will be discussed.
            “In Guyana we have positioned ourselves especially from an agricultural standpoint of offering some of the solutions and I think the FAO has recognised our leadership in the context of the Jagdeo Initiative and to give us support for our own efforts to enhance agriculture,” Minister Persaud added.
            Over the years, Guyana’s agricultural sector has received significant support from the FAO in various areas and it is expected that this will be strengthened with the establishment of the local office.
            With assistance from the FAO, a rice-fish programme was implemented in 2004/2005 to integrate aquaculture into rice cultivation to enable farmers to earn more and reduce the use of fertilisers.
            Additionally, the Mon Repos Aquaculture Demonstration Station was constructed with support from several international agencies including the FAO as part of efforts to stimulate development of the emerging sector by providing necessary training and technical assistance.
            Government’s commitment to continuous agricultural development has received the support of many international organisations and agencies some of which have since established offices in Guyana. These include the Inter-American Development Bank (IDAB), the Canadian International Development Fund (CIDA), the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).

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