‘Grow More Food’ campaign to be expanded

The Agriculture Ministry has announced that it will be expanding the “Grow More Food” campaign following the successful implementation of its first phase, which began in 2008.

On August 13, the ministry said the campaign will now be intensified to cater for greater challenges and support not only for small farmers, but expanding medium and large scale agro investments to benefit from opportunities resulting from the global food crisis. As such, the government will be distributing fertilisers, seeds, planting materials and livestock to farmers and farmers’ groups across the country. Since mid-2010 and throughout the early months of 2011, global food prices have been steadily rising, surpassing even the levels reached during the crisis of 2008. For those countries that specialise in the export of raw materials, the increase in agricultural prices affords them a unique opportunity to improve their terms of trade, the ministry said.

However, it may also be very costly for them in terms of decreased food security, increased malnutrition, and possible social unrest, especially in net food importing countries. The persistence of volatility, which is the result of constant variations in price, will continue to create great uncertainty for farmers, added to the great risks already posed by climate change and recurrent pests and diseases. The ministry said agriculture in Guyana must undergo a significant transformation in order to meet the related challenges of achieving food security and responding to climate change. Projections based on population growth and food consumption patterns indicate that agricultural production will need to increase by at least 70 per cent to meet demands by 2050 worldwide.

Most estimates also indicate that climate change is likely to reduce agricultural productivity, production stability, and incomes in some areas that already have high levels of food insecurity. Smart agriculture is crucial to achieving future food security and climate change goals.

The “Grow More Food” campaign was launched on March 20, 2008 by the Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud in an effort to increase food production in Guyana by adopting a market led approach.

This was realised through the implementation of a five step plan which include the implementation of a US$21.9 million Agricultural Export Diversification Programme, the implementation of a US$6 million Rural Enterprise and Agricultural Development Programme, increased investment in drainage and irrigation by restoring drainage to areas abandoned by farmers and training farmers to manage the maintenance of rehabilitated structures at a cost of Gy$12 billion since 2008, enhanced extension services through the creation of the Guyana Livestock Development Authority and the increased availability of agricultural inputs such as seeds, planting materials and improved breeds for all categories of livestock which includes cattle, small ruminants and poultry.

Rural farmers, agro investors, processors, exporters and all those involved in the value chain have benefitted from the investments made by the government over the past five years to boost food production and attaining a lucrative means of earning a livelihood.

Consequently, these results emanated from the investments made in the non-traditional agriculture sector which allowed exports to increase by 115 per cent in 2010 when compared to 2005.

Guyana is the only country in the southern hemisphere that is a net exporter of food and has achieved the United Nations first Millennium Development Goal of eradicating hunger.

The ministry said it will continue to place prominence on food security and climate change by transforming agriculture and adopting practices that are “climate-smart.” A number of production systems are already being used by farmers and food producers to adapt to climate change, and reduce vulnerability.

For the various communities of Guyana, agricultural production is both a source of food and a source of income.

Climate change impacts the four key dimensions of food security – availability, stability, access, and utilisation.