Two stakeholders are hoping that the other members of the committee behind this month’s Coconut Festival will review their decision to have alcoholic beverages sold at the event as they believe this will take away from its educational objective.
The festival, the first of its kind to be held in Guyana, is aimed at educating famers and more so the general public, about the benefits of coconuts while displaying a variety of products that can be derived from the fruit.
Committee member Nateram Ramanan, a Charity businessman, when interviewed by Stabroek News last evening registered his disappointment that alcohol will be sold at the event.
“We are promoting coconuts not beer,” he said. “This festival is supposed to be used as a platform to edify people. This is not a sporting event. We are going to be there to edify people about coconut. The sale of alcohol will just take away from all of that.”
Ramanan was even more concerned that the decision does not seem to take into consideration the fact that school children are also expected to be attending the event to partake in “a learning experience.”
Similar sentiments were shared by Chairman of the National Stakeholders Forum for coconut development in Guyana Raymond Trotz.
Speaking with Stabroek News, Trotz opined that the event is one that is aimed at providing information and not entertainment.
Further, he stated that like the other committee members, he too believes that the sale of alcohol would take away the focus of the event.
And while other committee members have argued that the sale of alcohol could be used to cover expenses incurred by hosting the festival, the chairman said that should not be since the cost attached to the event should have been subsidized by the Ministry of Agriculture and other stakeholders.
Trotz said an attempt was made to have the decision reviewed at a higher level. However, he was informed that the issue was voted on by the six committee members and the sale of alcohol at the event was favoured by four of the six members.
Nevertheless, he stands firm in his belief that alcohol should not be sold at the event and is therefore encouraging the committee members to review their decision particularly since schoolchildren will be among the attendees.
Attempts to contact a representative of the Ministry of Agriculture for a comment on the issue were unsuccessful.
Under the theme ‘Awakening a Sleeping Giant,’ the festival is centred on the belief that coconut has the potential to be a game-changer and was derived from a cooperation agreement which concluded in February between the ministries of Agriculture and Tourism.
The objective is to enhance awareness of the various domestic uses to which coconut and its by-products can be put as well as the export potential of the coconut. The festival runs from October 16 to 21.
