Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo announced yesterday that the government will tap into Indian expertise in tissue culture to boost the agricultural sector, as well as other areas.
“We are hoping that within the next few months a lot of these specialists will be recruited and brought to Guyana and give a big boost to the agriculture sector and expand its productivity,” he said.
Pointing out that India is a powerhouse in agricultural production and research, which has the ability to feed 1.4 billion people, he said Guyana is working aggressively to tap into its resources.
Speaking at a press conference at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre, yesterday following his return from a visit to that country, Jagdeo explained that the vision is to transition from artesian farming into agri-business type of production.
“So with the tissue culture you can do millions of plants in a short period of time while having the same consistency and productivity… So we are going to be working with India to bring these facilities here,” he underscored. The development of this sector will also provide employment opportunities.
He said the aim was to have the technology replicated in different sectors: including spices, aquaculture, livestock, and coconut production.
“We need the expertise from many parts of the world to transform these industries into agri-businesses and with high levels of productivity. In India, the variety of cane there, for example, will give you probably two to three times the output that you would get from a single acre of cane here. Similarly, the rice varieties yield much more,” he said.
The Vice President noted the practicality of India’s experience in the areas identified made it feasible for the country to benefit. He stated that the experts would not only come with the technical knowledge, but the experience needed.
“The trip was more at the practical level to work at bringing the requisite help to many of the sectors we are hoping to develop, consistent with Guyana’s plan to give leadership on food security, on the environment and the energy security front…” Jagdeo said.
He pointed out that in the coming months, Guyana and India will concretise plans for the development of the agricultural sector through expertise in technology and machinery.
Turning his attention to healthcare, he stated that in a few years, Guyana will require between 1,500 and 2,000 professionals to take up jobs in the sector. He explained that the government will be tapping into the expertise to manage hospitals with efficient patient record systems across the country.
“As you know, we are building 12 new hospitals this year. We have to get people to manage these hospitals and support them. India can help in this regard to not only supply the goods but also train Guyanese at the requisite level of command…,” Jagdeo said.
He added that the government will also be looking at utilising technological skills in India for the development of the Silica City project, which is pegged to be built as a smart city.
