President Irfaan Ali on Thursday praised India’s innovativeness and said that New Delhi will be extending expansive help in the agriculture sector to boost this country’s food drive.
Speaking at a reception held in observance of India’s 73rd Republic Anniversary at the Atlantic Ballroom, Pegasus Hotel and Suites, Ali referenced his recent “fruitful visit” to India and its positive impacts.
“This is no secret. This is a policy position of the Government, and I’m very pleased with the discussions we had at the highest level and their (India’s) overall deep interest in being a part of the entire ecosystem of our energy sector. Not just buying our crude, no. The discussions were not that narrow. The discussions were comprehensive and covered the entire ecosystem in relation to oil and gas”, he said, according to a release from the Office of the President.
He lauded India’s pioneering spirit.
“India has mastered the art of transforming raw material into value-added, mastered the art. There is nowhere else in the world that does it as good as India. They have mastered the technology that is efficient, that is cost-effective, that is reliable and they are willing to share that technology”, he said.
Ali noted that India has committed to working with Guyana to build a regional Agri-tech campus to support the regional food hub and to advance our agriculture potential.
“So, over the next few months, you will see a number of measures that will be aimed at creating this new ecosystem around agriculture, by focusing on high value, focusing on new areas and innovation, because that is where the future will go. We are building a food production and agricultural system on a platform that will make it competitive, resilient to operate in an economy 2030 and beyond”, the Head of State said.
Ali stressed the need to have systems in place to ensure that the Region is food secure. He also spoke of the urgency for the policy environment, the institutional framework, and an ecosystem to support a food production system across the region.
According to the press release, the President said that not only is Guyana positioning itself to have solar energy as part of its renewable platform; the aim is to position Guyana to be a manufacturer, to be a producer of alternative energy, including solar.
“That is what we are doing; we are working hard to create a new wave of economic activity. For that to occur, it requires the infrastructure transformation”, he stated.
