Latest update April 28th, 2026 12:30 AM
POPULARIZING AGRICULTURE AS A GOOD CAREER
Dear Editor,
The above poster is prominently displayed along the roadways in the province of Ontario, Canada. (For clarity please note that it depicts an advertisement by the McDonald fast food chain which is famous for its burgers & chips with the punch line that potato chips originate from the Canadian potato farms). 
It creatively depicts the nexus between a popular, profitable product (McDonald’s fries/chips) and the not so popular occupation of potato farming with the subliminal message that farming is indeed and in fact a worthwhile career.
In Guyana we have been pushing the teaching of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) with clear pointers to careers outside the field of Agriculture. There is no quarrel with the pursuit of STEM subjects and careers; as a matter of fact our country does need such initiatives.
But, while we do so, we should not ignore the fact that Guyana is ‘naturally’ blessed with agricultural potential and the world is facing deficits in good food supplies. We should therefore not lose sight of our relative advantage in agricultural pursuits and the concomitant emphases on institutions like the Guyana School of Agriculture and industries like sugar, rice, coconuts, ground provision, animal husbandry, fishing and fruits etc.
For starters, how about roadside signs depicting, say our world famous rums with a complementary subliminal message as in the Canadian sign above that it is not possible without our sugar industry growing sugarcane and producing molasses?
Of course, the ‘anti-alcohol lobby’ might object to the incidental ‘promotion’ of rum; however, if that becomes a stumbling block, we can certainly get over it by using the KFC chicken logo to make the connection with cultivating rice and other grains to produce poultry and animal feed. (The local Beharry Group which reportedly now has the KFC franchise might welcome opportunity for partnering with Government to promote agricultural pursuits as well as the balanced development of Guyana’s human resources.
We can also think of the nexus between burghers, dairy products and cattle rearing as another respectable occupation for our young people to think of pursuing.
Nowrang Persaud
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