A review of the performance of the agriculture sector in 2023

Jan 05, 2024 Letters

Dear Editor,

I have written exhaustively on the Agriculture Sector in Guyana: the willful destruction by the Coalition from 2015 to 2020 and the resurrection of that Sector under the leadership of Minister Zulfikar Mustapha and the PPP/C Government and had accurately predicted that this Sector will soar and progress to unprecedented heights. And it has come to pass.

I had given detailed accounts of the severe slashing of the Sector’s Budgetary allocation year after year from 2015 and the dire consequences which included: the unconscionable and indefensible closing of four grinding Estates and the dismissal of more than 7,000 workers, the continuous decrease in the production of all the subsectors (livestock, fishery, rice, etc.), damaged roads and infrastructures, no capital investments, VAT on machinery and equipment, increase rates and taxes, increasing costs of inputs and the list goes on.

This is in addition, to the many acts of corruption and the squandering and ‘mismanaging’ of billions of dollars. There was no vision to transform the Sector and the then Agriculture Minister was clueless. Where was Mr. Ramjattan then, the man who now has a clear vision for the Sector? When all of these are summed up and analyzed, it will be seen that the main objective of the Coalition was to destroy the Sector which it perceives as being supporters of the PPP.

In July 2022, I wrote in the press that, ‘NO one can doubt there is an agriculture renaissance in Guyana, which is marked by the renewed understanding and recommitment to the fundamental role of agriculture in the nation’s development. The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government and the Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, must be applauded for this. There are several different approaches underway which guarantees the agriculture sector’s growth.

This is so despite the many challenges faced by the sector including damaging floods experienced since last year.’ And so it came to pass.

On December 31^st 2023, I read a Kaieteur News article headlined thus, ‘Agriculture Ministry records outstanding achievements for 2023’. He outlined a number of these great accomplishments. The increase in sugar production by 28% over the 2022 figure which is expected to increase again in 2024 since more cane lands abandoned under the Coalition will be replanted, land conversion and mechanization and boosting of revenue through more value-added measures. He pointed out also that rice production increased resulting in earnings increasing by $3 billion over 2022. There is continuing capital investments and investment on research and development.

Infrastructural developments were also highlighted, namely the capital investments in drainage and irrigation in various regions of the country, the capital investment to boost production and productivity and the redistribution of land leases which were revoked by the Coalition. This was just a part of what has taken place. There were many other measures such as removal of VAT, cash grants relief and free distribution of agricultural inputs, investments in non-traditional crops and shade houses, increase in agro-processing, motivating youths to be involved in agriculture, among other measures.

In addition, there were increases in production and revenue for all the other subsectors which includes fishing (shrimp included), livestock (poultry and eggs), and other crops. It must be submitted that the lack of capital investments, the dire neglect of the Sector, the great floods and the negative impact of COVID-19 have been devastating to the Sector and posed formidable challenges to this Government which they managed to triumph over.

It has always been the case where the PPP/C Government has had to clean the mess and devastation dispensed by the PNC (Coalition) Government. The PPP has always regarded agriculture as the bedrock of the economy and has always invested heavily in this regard. There is a renaissance in agriculture in Guyana as the country is positioned to champion food security in the Caribbean and the rest of the world, as envisioned by the PPP/C government. In conclusion, the Agriculture Sector by 2025 through the astute and ingenious leadership of Minister Mustapha, will ensure the reduction of the food import bill by 25 % by 2025 (25 by 2025) will be achieved.

Yours sincerely,

Haseef Yusuf

agriculture, Government, Guyana, Haseef Yusuf, sector

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