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Guyana spends US$300M to import unnecessary food- Dr Ramsammy
According to Minister of Agriculture Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, some US$300M are spent every year to import food into Guyana. Most of the food imports, he said, the country does not need because most of it can be produced locally.
Minister of Agriculture Dr. Leslie Ramsammy
“The more money we spend importing things the less money we have to invest in our own country. Less money we are investing promoting businesses, less money we have promoting jobs for our people.
“The more we import the more we are promoting the economic and social prosperity of another country,” Ramsammy outlined.
He said that CARICOM (Caribbean Community) spends US$5.2 Billion importing food. Only 17 percent of that comes from internal trade—between CARICOM countries. Some 83 percent of the US $5.2 B that we spend importing food comes from outside the CARICOM region, supporting businesses, supporting employment and supporting social and economic prosperity of those countries at our expense.”
Dr Ramsammay said, “We must not be selfish, we must help others but others cannot be helped by our expense.”
“These are things that we should ponder over; we should create Guyana products that people look forward to.”
He recalled that not so long ago Guyanese had to import broccoli and cauliflower. These imports were limited to the higher echelons in society. Today, those two vegetables are now grown in Guyana and are available for everyone to use. Greater impetus is needed in this regard to curtail the high cost of importing food.
One of the ways the Agriculture Minister outlined was diversifying the food industry and the amount of commodities that Guyanese produce locally.
“Taking the food industry to the next level” Ramsammy made the call for greater manufacturing practices within that industry.
“At the very next sitting of our Parliament I will be introducing for its first reading the food safety Bill. The food safety Bill will insist on good manufacturing practices.”
He said that food producing businesses will have no option when the Bill becomes an Act. “Now you could decide whether you will or will not but when this Bill becomes an Act in law there will not be an option you will have to implement good manufacturing practices if we are to stay in business.”
Dr Ramsammy said that Guyanese and tourists will not only benefit but countries to which Guyana’s products are exported will have reputable products that are safe and healthy.
He said that the United States of America (USA) introduced its new food safety laws in 2014, Canada has revised its laws and Europe has introduced more rigid rules.
“Unless Guyana adopts and embraces good manufacturing practices in our everyday business we will be left out of the global business environment and global trade.”
The Agriculture Minister said that this Bill is not about making life difficult but about positioning Guyana to be a serious tourist destination as well as positioning Guyana to compete in global trade.
According to Ramsammay within the food industry there must not be a double standard.
“We must not create a standard that is good enough for foreigners and a lower standard for our people, we must have a single standard of safe high quality food.”
The Agriculture Minister was speaking at a NAMILCO (National Milling Company of Guyana) baking Seminar held recently at Parc Rayne on the East Bank of Demerara when he said, “When our visitors come we don’t have to treat them to a bundle of products that they invented and that they enjoy every day in their own country.
“Let’s create and unique culinary art that when our tourists come these are things that they will embrace and remember.”
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