NAREI Research Scientist, Ramnarace Sukhna, is a ‘Special Person’

Dec 06, 2020 News, Special Person

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– Driving the potential of Guyana’s spice industry

Kaieteur News – A love for agriculture and an understanding of Guyana’s potential to impact the globe in this regard, has led Ramnarace Sukhna to dedicate more than half his life to the development of the sector.
As this week’s Special Person, the research scientist for the state’s National Agriculture Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) shared his thoughts on realizing the potential of the country’s spice industry, a project that he has headed for the past 13 years.
In fact, Sukhna has spearheaded the establishment of the first turmeric factory in Guyana located at Hosororo, Region One (Barima/Waini).
Under his stewardship, the project is expected to by 2025 produce sufficient spices to satisfy the demand on the local market and alleviate the need for Guyana to spend in excess of US$1M to import a commodity that can be cultivated and harvested right here.
Sukhna believes that with the right tools, Guyana will not only produce enough spices for local consumption but for exportation, at least on a regional scale.

Prior to heading the project, Sukhna was trained in Cuba at the University of Ciego de Avila (UNICA), where he graduated with honours and obtained a Bachelor of Science in Agronomy.
The scientist is also the holder of a Master of Science degree in Plantation Crops and Spices from the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU), India where he graduated with honours and is currently pursuing a Ph.D degree in Agricultural Extension at the Agrarian University of Havana Cuba.
He told Kaieteur News that agriculture has been a part of his life for as long as he can remember. The Cane Grove, East Coast Demerara (EBD) native noted that even the village that he grew up in got its name because a sugar plantation once existed there.
“I am from an agricultural background, my parents, uncles, cousins and siblings were all involved in agricultural production,” Sukhna said, recalling the days that he traversed the muddy dams to get to his parents’ farm.
There, he said, he would lend a helping hand and observe the cultural and agronomic practices utilized by his parents—Rambhajan and Indardai Sukhna.
“I also assisted my parents to cultivate our rice field,” he said explaining that at one point, his family even ventured into planting rice; a venture that two of his brothers are still very much involved in to this day.
The teenager was later exposed to other types of farming. He recalled that while staying at a dormitory of the Cove & John Ashram, he assisted in the kitchen garden, on daily basis.
Given his natural inclination to agriculture, Sukhna excelled in Agricultural Science and made a conscious decision to join the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA), after successfully completing the CXC examinations.
This was in spite of advice from his headmaster to join the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) given his physical stature. He admitted that he did consider entering other fields of work but nothing fit like a career in agriculture.
“For a fleeting moment in my teens, I wanted to be a medical doctor but I realized that I could not muster the courage to inject/stitch or observe blood oozing from someone’s wound,” Sukhna said adding that he soon realized that his true calling was in the field of agriculture because he cared about helping people and making an impact and being a research scientist for NAREI allows him to do that.
“I was also well aware that in order for me to make a meaningful contribution to an agricultural community such as Cane Grove, I had to pursue a career in Agriculture,” he added.

PRODUCING SPICES
After graduating High School, the young Sukhna secured employment with the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo). He worked with GuySuCo for three years before leaving to pursue his studies in Cuba.
Upon return to Guyana, Sukhna who was by then trained in agronomy moved to the NAREI where he saw an opportunity to head a new project which has the potential to further diversity Guyana’s agricultural prospects and generate revenues for farmers in Region One.
‘The Spice Project’ was then commenced as initiative under former President Bharat Jagdeo with the NAREI research scientist at the helm.
According to Sukhna, the initiative have established for the diversification of the agricultural sector with explicit reference to the development of non-traditional agricultural products such as nutmeg, black pepper, ginger, turmeric, etc. and value-added agricultural commodities that have acquired high priority positions.
He explained that the programme sought to satisfy the country national policy by developing a spices industry.
The reason for this, Sukhna said, is due to the fact that annually Guyana imports in excess of US$1M in spices from India, Vietnam, Singapore, Bulgaria and Morocco.
“Some of spices such chili powder, cinnamon, jeera, garlic, mangrile, mustard, turmeric, ginger, black pepper, vanilla can be produced right here,” Sukhna said.
As such, the research scientist quickly realized the impact that producing spices can have on the people and economy of the country.
“Spices are an integral part of the culture and religious activities of the people of Guyana. The climatic and soil factors prevailing in the country are congenial for these commodities. Realizing the potential of spices in the country would in itself be a great accomplishment.”
As such, the spice project kick-started in Region One, with the production of turmeric, ginger, black pepper and nutmeg germ plasma conservatories at Hosororo, St. Anslem, Kamwatta and Kachi Kamo.
Sukhna explained that conditions in Region One made it the ideal place for production of spices but his biggest challenge was to process the raw material and curing it for market use. He explained that one product in particular—turmeric requires extensive drying.
As a result, the Indigenous farmers used makeshift drying mechanisms to produce the first batches.
However, as cultivation and production increased, Sukhna had to improvise.
Along with the assistance of farmers, Sukhna constructed four solar dryers at Hosororo, Region One.
The ‘Karahi pot’, which the farmers used was replaced of a steam boiler, which is part of the turmeric factory, which he procured from India.
To date, Sukhna revealed, the initiative would have provided a source of income and better livelihood for the people of Region One.
“Additionally,” he noted that “there has been a reduction in the importation of processed turmeric, all thanks to the project.”
In his capacity as a research scientist at NAREI, Sukhna has travelled to several hinterland locations including Moruca, Kwebanna, Lower Koriabo, St. Anslem, and Kachi Kamo, to teach the farmers the benefits of cultivating spices including turmeric, ginger, black pepper and nutmeg.
He noted that since the start of the project, Region One has been dubbed as the spice region of Guyana with the highest production of turmeric and ginger.

BIGGEST INFLUENCE
As it regards, the biggest influencing factors behind his work, the research scientist accredits the Chief Executive Officer of NAREI, Dr. Oudho Homenauth.
Sukhna said that Dr. Homenauth has helped to shape his work ethic and passion for the job.
“I incorporated many of his leadership attributes especially the way in which he manages the affairs of the organization. He gave me a chance to head the spices programme in Guyana even though I was fresh out of university,” he said of Homenauth.
Added to this, Sukhna said the idea was discovering new technologies through scientific experiments and innovations that will benefit the farmers (the people who feed the nation) and the country as a whole.
He said being recognised by his peers for his contributions as research scientist who has contributed to the development of the budding sector was an enormous accolade.
Aside from work, Sukhna, a lover of cricket, is the sports coordinator and captain of NAREI cricket team.
He is also a versatile dholak player.
“I also love music and I am also a versatile dholak (drum) player. I travelled to many countries (Trinidad, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Suriname etc.) with the monks of the Guyana Sevashram Sangha popularly known as the Cove & John Ashram to perform at religious functions. I also played dholak throughout the length and breadth of Guyana. I was once the President/Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Ashram. The ashram played an integral role in my upbringing, “he said.
In addition to those roles, this week’s Special Person has been married to his gorgeous and dependable wife, Shivanie Sukhna, for the past five years. The couple shares a two-year-old daughter, Rithanya Sukhna (Baby Avantika).
“She is a beacon of light in our lives. My family is the foundation of my very existence,” the doting father and husband told this newspaper.
Speaking on how he balances the time between his family and the project, Sukhna told Kaieteur Sunday that he sticks to a routine, which includes preparing sticky notes the day before to ensure that the most urgent work gets done first.
“I check my emails and review the status of the scientific projects I am working on and try to complete any pending assignment. I make contact with my research assistant at Hosororo, Region One to make certain that work is going as planned,” he said.
Questioned about the future of Guyana’s agriculture sector, Sukhna noted that despite the focus on oil right now, agriculture has been the backbone of Guyana’s economy and it will continue to ensure food and nutritional security even after oil.

 

 

 

 

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