Facilitating exchanges between and amongst groups of Guyanese farmers whose livelihoods are intertwined in the fortunes of the land is one of the more important pursuits of the Ministry of Agriculture’s Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC). The objective of these get-togethers, the Corporation says, is to promote “linkages among farmers” but also to extend the events to embrace “buyers and service providers” as well and to strengthen links between the farmers on the one hand and the Ministry’s Extension Department, on the other.
The most recent of these initiatives, an exchange visit, took place on Tuesday February 12th when twenty-two farmers from Parika, three farmers from Mara on the East Bank of the Berbice river and four farmers from Central Corentyne made their respective way to Crabwood Creek for the latest GMC-organised ‘pow wow’. Once they had all assembled, the farmers then journeyed by boat to the Back Dam to see how farming is done there and afterwards to have a ‘look see’ of the general area.
The GMC said in its post-visit media release that the visitors “observed keenly” the particular practices of the Crabwood Creek farmers after which they shared experiences during a chat organised by the GMC’S Regional Marketing Coordinator, Milton Dookie who, along with Region Six Crop Extension Officer, Devin Warner and Crop Extension Assistant Deon Harvey had joined forces to put the event together.
Dookie, the GMC’s release says, was pleased with the event and more particularly its role in enhancing the knowledge of the farmers from far-flung communities, particularly with regard to “best practices,” based on their observations and interactions. He stated, “The exchange visit will enhance the knowledge of farmers as it relates to best practices, as they strive to improve the quality of their produce,” and added that occasions such as the Crabwood Creek ‘pow wow’ afforded farmers the opportunity to employ various practices in order to improve quality and productivity. “It is known that farmers value their colleagues’ experiences and knowledge as well,” Dookie was quoted as saying. During the interaction, the team exchanged information on production practices associated with the cultivation of various non-traditional crops at their specific geographic locations.
The GMC reported that farmers from Malali Sideline, Crabwood Creek, had “developed and adopted production practices (plant spacing, drain construction, planting method etc.) that contrasted with those of the farmers in Region Three, the differences being attributable to dissimilarities in rainfall patterns and irrigation methods. The Crabwood Creek is a major producer of eddoe, cassava, sweet potato, plantain, pumpkin and watermelon.
Arising out of the discourse, including the interaction with the Extension Officers, the farmers expressed their desire to receive support in the understanding and effective application of proper post-harvest management practices in order to maintain quality between the farm and the market.
The GMC’s release said that being aware of the importance of good post-harvest management practices, the entity is committed to passing these values on to farmers across the country. The visiting farmers’ group from Parika, meanwhile, were loud in their praise of the farming methods of their Crabwood Creek counterparts.
GMC General Manager Ida Sealey-Adams meanwhile, affirmed that similar encounters amongst farmers from across the country are planned for later this year. “Exchange visits have been tried and tested worldwide among farming communities. Often times the learning process reflects the different stages in the adoption hierarchy, where the creation of awareness must be followed by an interest in the practice. This commonly leads to changes in the way of thinking and a subsequent translation of ideas into action thereafter adoption,” Sealey-Adams said.
