Billions to be spent to import food in the Caribbean

May 15, 2014 News

– But Agri. Minister convinced “we can grow the thing”

The Region is likely to import more than US5.5 billion in food products this year while a measly US$1.5 billion in like products are expected to be exported. This situation will therefore translate, in simple terms, to three and a half times more food being imported into the Region than what will be exported.
This troubling development was vocalised by Minister of Agriculture, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, as he delivered the main address at the launch of the Caribbean Examination Council’s (CXC) of Agricultural Science at the level of the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) on Monday. The launch was venued at the Theatre Guild, Parade Street, Georgetown.

Minister of Agriculture, Dr Leslie Ramsammy speaks glowingly of Guyana’s food production capabilities as one of his staffers displays carrots and beets grown right here in Guyana.

“I find that totally unacceptable when a Region like this would not be able to meet our own food demands, much less export,” said an evidently concerned Dr Ramsammy.
In further registering his anxiety, the Minister disclosed that at least three Caribbean countries alone will import more than US$1 billion in food this year. These countries he listed as Jamaica, Bahamas, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Guyana will certainly not be exempted from this state of affairs, since, according to the Minister, “this giant of Agriculture in this Region, will this year, spend more than US$250 million importing food, and there is no need.”
According to the Minister, the Region has even stooped to the level of importing tomatoes at a whopping cost of US$3 million last year. “Do you find that at all an absurd thing? You should! You see we all need some science and knowledge to do things but if there is one thing that we all can do, is that we can plant tomatoes for God sake!” said the passionate Agriculture Minister.
He pointed out that while there is need for science in producing at high yields, “we can grow the thing…there is no need to go and buy from other countries.”
Nevertheless, he highlighted that this year Bahamas will for instance expend a sizeable sum to buy rice, from somewhere outside of the Caribbean, in order to feed its half of a million people and the six million more who are expected to visit its shores this year.
Dr Ramsammy speculated that rice procured by Bahamas is sourced perhaps from the United States of America. But according to him, “I say to all of you, Guyana’s rice is as good as any rice that comes from America.”
Moreover, he emphasised the need for strategic moves to be made to “teach our children and professionals the rules of the game, the marketing strategies and the trade rules that will see the ships leave Guyana for Jamaica and the Bahamas with rice…Guyana/Caribbean rice (rather) than rice from the US.”
Aside from the procurement of rice outside of the Caribbean, Dr Ramsammy mentioned that last year the Region imported milk not only from the United States but from New Zealand, Brazil and Argentina. “What’s wrong with us? We say we are poor but we spent US$300 million to buy milk from outside the Region…We talk about unemployment; we talk about opportunity for investors (and) entrepreneurships. What is wrong with us?” questioned the Minister.
He in fact linked the whole situation to his belief that “our education system at some time failed us.
“You see we were brought here at some time as slaves and indentured labourers and they taught us something; they taught us what we can grow and what we cannot grow,” said the Minister who pointed out that the Caribbean has immense potential to grow its own food. He alluded to the fact that although three years ago Jamaica imported 90 per cent of its potatoes, by last year it was producing this very percentage of potatoes on its own.
Guyana’s capabilities, in this regard, are certainly not limited, as according to Dr Ramsammy Guyana too has of recent been producing its own Irish potatoes, carrots and even beets. “We were told at one time we could not grow this in the Region, so last year the Caribbean imported US$10 billion worth of carrots and US$3 million of beets that we can grow…” said the Agriculture Minister.
He is convinced that engaging in such activities would in fact provide the opportunity “for the generation of wealth for ourselves, our families, communities and country.”
The move towards producing more food products, he added, is one that is aimed at ensuring that “at least 25 per cent of the amount we import will be replaced by local production creating more opportunities for our people by 2020 and hopefully accelerate it so that we don’t import any carrots, any beets, any potatoes, any garlic in our country.”