Experts from China are holding a four-week course for local technicians in the agriculture sector on areas such as cassava production.
A release yesterday from the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) said that the planting technology course is being offered by the Ministry of Commerce, China through the Economic and Commercial Office of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China here in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture.
According to the release, specialised lecturers in the field of cassava and vegetables; sugar and rice have arrived from China to offer their expertise to employees of NAREI; the Guyana Rice Development Board, the Guyana Sugar Corporation and the University of Guyana.
In addressing the gathering yesterday morning at a ceremony held at the Guyana School of Agriculture, NAREI’s Chief Executive Officer CEO), Dr. Oudho Homenauth, said that discussions on the course began more than a year ago.
“This exercise started more than a year ago where we would have had intense discussion between representatives from China and our personnel here before this course was finalized,” Dr. Homenauth said.
China is offering the course on cassava because “the country is ranked among the top 10 countries in the world in respect to cassava production. They produce approximately five million tons of cassava annually and cultivate 300,000 hectares,” NAREI’s CEO said.
He added that because the country is so advanced in technology, it utilises 60 percent of the cassava produced, for industrial purposes. The CEO urged his staff especially those from the hinterland communities, to pay keen attention since this course can provide new information in cassava production, post-harvesting and industrial processing.
Meanwhile, Hanming Hu, a representative from Ministry of Commerce, China said that in 2018 a memorandum of understanding was signed on the training course presently being offered. Later this year, another course will be offered in the field of soil and gas development.
