Latest update February 5th, 2025 11:03 AM
Agriculture Ministry presents 2020 Strategic Plan to Islamic Development Bank …as consultations with Govt. agencies begins
Ministry of Agriculture Permanent Secretary, George Jervis
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, George Jervis, presented his ministry’s strategic plan to key representatives of the Islamic Development Bank, who are in Guyana to ascertain whether a relationship can be established over the next few days.
Jervis said that the Ministry is aiming to achieve a five per cent annual growth, 50 per cent reduction of imports in service specific items which are currently imported in large quantities, a 25 per cent increase in the non-sugar and non-rice and a 50 per cent increase in agro-processed production by 2020.
The PS said that the Ministry is looking to have a dairy industry with at least one dairy plant producing pasteurised and Ultra-High Temperature (UHT) milk. He said that milk and milk products are among the top ten food imports.
Jervis said that these items were valued at US$75M in 2015. Given this expenditure, he said that it is important for there to be a resuscitation of the local dairy industry.
He said that in addition to the dairy industry, there is focus on cultivation. “We would like to have at least 10,000 hectares of new cultivation area in the interior savannah. I have to say that this is on track.” Jervis said that there is also a 20,000 hectare mega farm project which is also on track.
The Ministry is also eyeing the resuscitation of the oil palm industry predominantly in Region One. He noted that there was a pilot project which had morphed into bio-diesel but was later privatised.
Jervis said that in resuscitating the oil palm industry, he hopes that it will have the support of other partners. He noted that the Islamic Development Bank has counterparts in Malaysia and Indonesia, who are deeply involved in the sector.
“It is not merely to resuscitate the industry, it is to have commercial investment in the sector and we welcome both because we recognise the size of investment required is not something Government should really be sticking into.”
Jervis said that the industry needs to be taken to a point where it is attractive to investors.
Rainwater harvesting was also highlighted to be one of the several projects to be undertaken in Regions Eight and Nine. He said that in these regions, there is sufficient rainfall to serve the areas, however all the rain comes in three months; after which there is no water for several months.
“We would like to put systems in place to duplicate what some other countries are doing already and harvest the water so we can have the water for more measured provision for plants and animals.”
Jervis said that the Ministry has a vision for Guyana in relation to agriculture. Emphasis is expected to be placed on living standards, safe and high quality food, reduced importation, attractive source of livelihood, employment and wealth generation, rapid economic growth in an expert oriented country, making Guyana a choice destination for entrepreneurs, industrialisation through processing and packaging and agriculture for fuel.
The PS said that Guyana has the potential to develop an Agri-fuel industry to meet the needs of the sector.
A number of Ministries are slated to make presentations to the Islamic Bank’s representatives. Today the Ministry of Public Infrastructure is expected to make its exposition along with a follow-up by the Ministry of Agriculture.
Guyana was formally inducted into the membership of the IDB in March of this year. The country has been attempting to join the bank since it became a member of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) in 1998 as it was a prerequisite for membership to the IDB.
The bank was established in 1973 and began operating on October 20, 1975 with headquarters in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
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