The Woodley Park/Bath Experiment Cash Crop Farmers Association was launched on 17th October, 2015 at the Bath Community Centre ground in Region five.
A Government Information Agency (GINA) release said founder, Abel Seetaram pointed out that one of the reasons for the establishing of the association were the difficulties encountered in previous years that restricted many of the cash crop farmers in the region. He said the 50 members will ensure agriculture remains a top priority in the region as it works with the Ministry of Agriculture and other organisations and focusses on resuscitating agricultural plots in schools. He encouraged other farmers to join the group in order to strengthen their bid to take cash crop farming forward in the region.
Region Five, the release said, has about 800,000 acres under cash crop cultivation and 4000 acres of coconuts. Despite being the country’s largest rice producing area, Region 5 has become the top producer of pork and beef with around 40,000 head of sheep, goats and pigs; as well as 60,000 head of cattle. Director of the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) Dr Udho Homenauth urged the farmers to increase production and diversify into value-added products to boost agriculture development. He informed that greater emphasis will be placed on value-added production as projections for the export of non-traditional goods see an increase by 20% by 2020.
He pledged NAREI’s support to the group and recognised that as a unit they had more bargaining power, pointing out it was more beneficial to work as a group to meet the demands of the market.
In his remarks Country Director for the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, Reuben Hamilton Robertson echoed Dr Homenauth’s sentiments on value-added products adding that farmers can no longer rely on the production of primary crops to lift them out of poverty. He promised the FAO’s collaboration with the government through the Ministry of Agriculture and necessary stakeholders in the development of local agriculture.
Included in the activities was a mini health fair conducted by the Mahaica, Mahaicony, Abary- Agricultural Development Authority (MMA-ADA), NAREI, the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) and the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) Berbice office.
