Business leaders called on to invest in implementing green practices

Business Minister Hemraj Ramkumar is urging business leaders to invest in implementing green practices throughout their business activities, because those practices have long-term effects.

Speaking on Saturday at the opening of the Regional Agricultural and Commercial Exhibition (RACE), which was held at the Albion Sports Complex in Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne), the Minister said many persons are not aligning themselves with businesses which promote sustainable agricultural practices.
Now in its second year, the one-day exhibition was held under the team “Promoting investment in agriculture, showcasing our local products”, and catered for businesses involved in agriculture and agro-processing. The exhibition was also expected to connect producers and consumers while improving and expanding trade opportunities in the region.
The Business Minister noted that Guyana has a long history of agricultural production.
“This sector has long been the cornerstone of our country’s economy, contributing substantively to the development of Guyana, and being one of the largest creators of employment throughout the country,” he said.
“Agriculture plays an increasingly important role today,” he also said, while adding that the United Nations (UN), in its 2018 Report, indicated that growth in the agricultural sector is twice as effective in reducing poverty as in any other sector.
“The importance of agriculture in the elimination of word hunger cannot be overstated, especially when an estimated 224 million people in 51 countries are currently facing a global food shortage,” the minister said.
Minister Ramkumar has said Guyana must transition to the modern agricultural systems and technologies so that it can realise its true potential as a major food producer in the Caribbean. At the global level, he noted, technologies in agriculture are so common that manual application of water, fertilisers and pesticides is almost unheard of.
“The application of smart systems in agriculture contributes towards better crop management, higher yields, optimal use of water and chemicals (and) our rivers and canals, which essentially is the protection of our environment,” he said.
He said smart agriculture is also part of the country’s Green State Development Strategy.