Improved road links could see the resuscitation of south-western Region Eight as a large producer of “environmentally adaptable crops” such as onions and Irish potatoes but for more perishable crops other constraints will have to be tackled if those are to be produced competitively.
Over three decades ago, a massive agriculture enterprise in the mountainous region saw the production of thousands of pounds of produce but this collapsed due to high transportation costs. The project, which ran from 1972 to 1976, saw the production of cabbage, potatoes, onions and other crops on a large scale. Then, there were virtually no road links in the remote region and the high cost of air transport eventually saw the initiative collapse.
Now, the Ministry of Agriculture is looking to re-introduce large scale production of “environmentally adaptable crops” such as onions, carrots, turmeric and Irish potatoes in the Region. Kato, Kurukubaru, Tuseneng, Paramakatoi and its satellite village, Bamboo Creek are the communities which have been identified to participate in the initiative which falls under the Agriculture Diversification Project.
Analyses are being carried out by researchers from the National Agricultural and Extension Institute (NAREI), to check the feasibility of the soil type and field texture, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported recently. Thus far, demonstration plots have been established at Kato in the vicinity of the Chiung River, while at remaining areas plots were established at creeks, GINA reported. Farmers were also given a practical demonstration of planting the crops with respect to row and seed spacing; techniques to reduce fine seed; and planting density using sand and selection of potato quarters. In addition, black pepper seedlings were planted in Kato, Kurukubaru and Paramakatoi.
The communities were also given demonstrations on the methods of land selection and preparation while brochures on the husbandry of turmeric, onion, potato, black pepper and carrot were distributed. “The team successfully completed this phase of the programme with the expectation of communities conducting the crop husbandry in the pilot plots for the next six to eight weeks. A follow up team from NAREI will then return to facilitate transfer of plants to larger production areas,” Agriculture Minister, Robert Persaud was quoted as saying during a trip to the area earlier this month.
He said that the project when implemented will significantly enable communities to become self-sufficient. It was noted that the Ministry is also looking to incorporate spices as a new crop targeting mostly hinterland areas which have suitable soil types to grow turmeric (dye), ginger, black pepper and nutmeg. Persaud said that such crops have a long shelf-life, and can endure transportation logistics and survive under harsh conditions.
Guyana continues to import large amounts of produce that can be grown here such as cabbage and onions and garlic. In an interview with Stabroek News last year, Persaud had noted that in relation to onions and garlic, a project is ongoing in Region Eight, where the climate is more temperate and the soils better suited for these types of crops. There are some activities that the ministry is looking to resuscitate in the region but that is dependent on the road link being established, which will not happen anytime in the near future, Persaud said at the time.
GINA reported that efforts are moving apace for a trail from the region to Georgetown to be established hence, “produce would be transported within three days”.
Since the 1970’s, trails linking the various villages in that part of Region Eight have been established and another trail now links them to Region Nine, Chairman of Region Eight, Senor Bell told Stabroek News. He said that they can now move with trucks in the dry season but travel in the rainy season still poses a problem with particular stretches of the road in Region Nine posing problems. He noted that tractors are being donated to villages but with regards to the transport of perishable produce, the roughness of the trail would damage them.
“We can’t afford to produce too much of perishable crops”, he said noting that the producing of such crops, at least in the near future, will be for consumption in the area. He said that processing of the produce is one way to go. Bell pointed out that they cannot compete with producers on the coast pointing out that for some of the crops they are looking to produce such as carrots, it is cheaper to import from overseas than transport from Region Eight to the Coast. “For us to compete with the Coast, we have to dehydrate everything”, he said.
Bell said the region has potential pointing to the production in the 1970’s. On one occasion 40 000 pounds of cabbage and 20 000 pounds of potatoes had to be buried at the airstrip because of transportation problems, he recalled. Cabbage, potatoes, onions, ginger and beets were among the crops cultivated at the time on a large scale. Bell noted that the temperate climate and the soil type are suited to the different crops but only some can grow in certain areas.
He noted that once crops are being produced on a large scale, there must be a market. He said that Lethem in Region Nine and Brazil are potential markets rather than shipping the produce to the coast. Currently, Lethem imports most of its fresh produce from Brazil. He noted that other crops such as ginger, black-pepper, and peas and beans can be cultivated there and shipped to the coast.
“They got a lot of work to do”, he said. Bell noted that a hydro-power plant had been proposed for Kato and said that if this became a reality, it would support agriculture activities.
In October 2009, NAREI in collaboration with the Office of the Prime Minister under the Unserved Areas Rural Electrification Programme had commissioned a ‘Report on Soil and Land Use Surveys to Support the Implementation of an Irrigation System for Agricultural Crop Production in Kato, West-Central Rupununi, Guyana’.
The main task was to establish a rationale for irrigation support to crop production activities in Kato. The principal objective was to determine the economic viability of developing a hydropower facility, to supply energy primarily for irrigating proposed farm lands, the suitability of community lands for agricultural crop production and the possible level of farming for this community.
The main constraint identified by the study was water availability. “The proposal to expand crop lands at Kato is constrained by the absence of an accessible irrigation system. However, the use of energy derived from the proposed development of small hydropower facility will remove this constraint. Pumping water from shallow wells or distributing water from river sources requires energy, which if available, will enhance the irrigation of crop lands at Kato. Also, its implementation will ensure optimal, sustainable, and all year round crop production, providing a reliable and accessible food supply link for neighbouring villages”, it said.
The report said that the presence of the all year round flowing Chiung River in the vicinity of Kato has the capability through hydropower to provide power for irrigation in crop production systems. If implemented, the suitability of these sites will be upgraded to highly suitable, it said.
The report had also noted that given the poor nutrient status of soils at identified plots, large scale crop production will entail judicious fertilizer use. It had said that the relatively high clay content of soils at one site makes it highly suitable for water tolerant crops such as rice and eddoes while the fine sandy loam soils at anther site is highly suitable for irrigated vegetable production, with a strong emphasis on crop rotation.
“Programmes to introduce new crops to this area should not ignore the acidic nature of these soils (low pH values). Thus, preference should be given to acid tolerant species during crop selection. It must be noted, that these recommendations are only valid with the implementation of a reliable system of irrigation. It is, therefore, recommended that the development of a small hydropower to supply energy for irrigating farm land is diligently pursued”, it said.
