We must cooperate for Guyana and the region

Jul 14, 2022 Letters

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Dear Editor,

I share completely the sentiments expressed in Tuesday July 12, 2022 Stabroek News Editorial dealing with this vital question of Food Security.
Excellency your Address to the Suriname Conference is one that deserves the nation’s approbation.
Having said that, I rely on this piece of wisdom, it takes “two to tango” or perhaps nearer to Guyanese folklore “Hand wash hand make hand come clean.”
My generation lived through the stress of World War II, when due to the blockade of German U-boats in our areas the importation of foreign food to Guyana and West Indian countries were suspended and the British Governor initiated what we knew as the grow more food campaign.
As a youngster and teenager, speaking with the youngsters and teenagers of today I get the impression, my generation was fitter and stronger than those of today. Perhaps because we were weaned entirely eating locally produced grains, ground provisions, vegetables, fruits and meat including what was looked down upon at one time huri, patwa, fine shrimps, cacabelle, etc., all highly nutritious and exportable.
At Queen’s College led by good British ex army officers, the likes of Captain Harold Knobbs and Captain Kenneth Maudsley, we put on skits and plays to persuade people to eat what we produced and I recall one play where the Late Ron Savory acted as a skin-fish.
The idea then was to persuade Guyanese, particularly the Guyanese Afro community, that there is nothing wrong nor sacrilegious about skin fish and in some areas pork.
I make this statement merely to make the point that if President Ali and the Government are serious about the goal of Food Security, the Ministers, Administrators, Educators and all in authority must all act professionally and on this question of Food Security eliminate Partisan, Political Prejudices.
Before I land myself in hot water, Guyanese everywhere must be able to maintain their beliefs and their choices of certain foods, which based on their beliefs and holy books they find objectionable and no one should attempt to change this fundamental right.
However, beyond this again at the risk of getting into hot water, if the Guyana Government, present and immediate past possess courage, follow the template left by Forbes Burnham, since after Independence, Feed, Clothe and House this nation, Guyana and the Caribbean can more than satisfy Guyana and the Region before 2025.
Feed, Clothe and House – FCH was not by accident or the capriciousness of its architects. The order was deliberate. It was understood that we could achieve the objective of feeding the nation long before clothing and housing the nation.
For example, a team was assembled headed by Professor Trotz to experiment with rice and corn to produce a flour with similar properties to wheat flour which we still use to make our bread, cakes and roti.
We dried our fruits to make our black cake, etc. so that there was no need to import raisins, currants and cherries to make our traditional black cake.
When our friends in the House of Israel began vending Plantain Chips, many of us scoffed and jeered. Today, I am grieved and pained that we are importing plantain chips from Latin American countries.
My children born in the 70s knew nothing of what we called ice-apples. When I took them to visit an aunt in the US, the relative brought a tray with apples and grapes saying she knew we don’t get them at home. The last girl bit the apple and asked if they did not have sapodillas or buxton-spice mango, both sweeter than imported apples.
Today, even the apples on the marketplace are small and tasteless but Guyanese still treat them as special.
When certain food items were not available in Guyana and Guyanese of every race, class and political persuasion said unkind things about Burnham and banning. They failed to appreciate, notwithstanding the oil crisis, that this is a bold and necessary step to encourage the use of more nutritious locally produced food and to bring prosperity to our local farmers.
When Forbes Burnham on horseback moved around the edges of urban centres to share out free of cost planting materials, one journalist was critical because he did so on horseback.
At a Conference in Europe, the Guyana Delegation walked with quantities of cassareep, and prepared some pepper-pot for our host who was so excited that the owner of a Supermarket chain placed an order for several hundred gallons of cassareep.
On our return to Guyana we were embarrassed, because we could not get enough cassavas to satisfy this large order.
I make reference to this to say that the words of one Late West Indian Prime Minister said that our problem is “we think too small”.
While we were delidalying, Jim Jones was already exporting vegetables from the North West to the Caribbean.
President Ali and the Government can make history on the question of Food Security but the Minister in charge of food production must be a person of impeccable integrity and vision.
The Officers likewise must not be in office because of their political loyalty to a party whichever that is in office.
Even GAWU is publicly expressing another concern about the composition and leadership of Guysuco, most of them political appointees, who are mangling and mismanaging the important sugar industry. If this pattern is not changed then Mr. President, your words will ring hollow and be meaningless.
The good thing is we have in Guyana today, young and old persons, if given the opportunity, I repeat can lead the effort to secure self sufficiency of food in Guyana and the Region by 2025.
Let us travel along the West Coast Berbice and the banks of our rivers and envisage acres and acres of eschalot, so we don’t have to import onions.
Let us likewise traverse the Pomeroon and the North West and see acres and acres of avocados, not being spoiled on the ground, but being packed for the marketplace and export. The Government must make a reality of a farm to market road programme identified but not completed.
These days there is money galore and high quality farm to market roads can be constructed by Contractors who produce high quality work and not stymied, by having to give a small piece to obtain the Contract.
The Food & Drug Analyst Department must not mimic a toothless and clawless environmental agency but be led and staffed by persons of integrity so that we don’t buy honey that is cornstarch and syrup. A Food & Drug Department which ensures that Food and Drugs produced locally are of a high standard.
Mr. President the big question I could not answer at this stage – is do we as a people have the will?
Do you and your Ministerial colleagues possess the magnanimity to appoint persons who are experienced and committed patriots and not appointed because of their party loyalty and will there be genuine consultation with all of the people’s representatives, in particular the Opposition Leader and the representatives of civil society and our religious organisations?
These are prerequisites for the success of our Food Security adventure.
Mr. President, let us be true to the last stanza of Arise Guyana, words by J.W. Chinapen and lyrics by Valerie Rodway – “ May we be steeled by action wise; Guard well our sacred heritage that it may thrive from age to age.”
I pray that we all cooperate for Guyana and the Region.

Regards,
Hamilton Green

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