The Ministry of Agricul-ture is continuing efforts to encourage farmers to diversify production by growing more non-traditional crops and spices by incorporating these into the research and learning institutions’ work programmes.
A release from the Agriculture Ministry said that the National Agricul-tural Research and Exten-sion Institute (NAREI), and the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA) have been leading the diversification efforts by successfully growing demonstration plots of garlic, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, turmeric, ginger, black pepper and chick pea.
The Minister of Agricul-ture, Dr Leslie Ramsammy and senior staff along with the Chief Executive Officers of NAREI and GSA, Dr Oudho Homenauth and Brian Greenidge respectively, recently visited the demonstration farm to observe some of the integrated techniques used to successfully grow the crops.
These techniques include the use of hydroponics, shade houses and an open system through the grow box.
During the visit, the agriculture minister interacted with and addressed students of GSA, encouraging them to embrace change and to work together for the benefit of not only themselves, but also the school and the country as a whole, to take research of the new crops and farming techniques to another level.
He also spoke of the investment by government into NAREI so that it would evolve into a lead research institution in the Caricom region.
NAREI is also working to promote large scale commercial production of corn and soya bean to supply the feed industry in order to reduce the spiralling costs of livestock feed.
The release reminded that NAREI and GSA are always open to farmers who are interested in getting hands-on demonstrations of techniques and husbandry of the recently introduced crops.
