Consistent political will paramount in achieving agri-food vision – VP Jagdeo

…goals have to be supported by investments

A flurry of action only on the brink of imminent food crises will not abet the Region’s efforts to achieve food security and an enabling agri-business environment, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has warned.
Speaking during his presentation at the Agri-Investment Forum and Expo at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre on Friday, the Vice President painted a frank reality of lacking political will and consistent action to realise the agricultural goals set out for 2025.
Some 15 years ago, countries within the regional block had set out to transform agriculture into agri-business, moving away from the ‘peasant-type’ agriculture to a viable sector and food security.
However, the former Head of State recognised that this is still not in place. Leaders are only pushing for agricultural policies during times of urgent need, but as soon as the situation abates, interest is lost.
“That enabling environment is still not here or in place as of today…A lot of politicians in the Region, when we have global crises and we have an escalation in food crises, there is a flurry of activities to talk about agriculture and food security because the political reality of dealing with a higher cost of living and anger of people dictates that. As though we can develop a viable period in just that period,” Jagdeo underlined.
This mindset, he added, must be transformed into sustainable and continued political buy-in from leaders in Caricom. This means that even though growth and recessions, or success and disasters, there must be commitment and investment in the agriculture industry.
“The efforts have to be sustained through boom-and-bust cycles, through high prices and low prices. We have to have a sustained policy environment or we have to address this matter in a sustained way. That requires political capital to be expended. It requires an understanding and commitment on the part of each country to do the things necessary to allow the growth of a viable agricultural sector.”
Budgetary allocations per country for agriculture reflect an ‘embarrassingly small sum’, the VP pinpointed. According to him, fiscal incentives should mirror that which is allotted to other sectors such as tourism.
He reasoned, “Often, although agriculture doesn’t contribute to a large part of the Gross Domestic Product of many countries, they create a lot of linkages and employ quite a few people in countries where you have until now, high rates of unemployment.”
The Vice President also spoke on enabling laws that are still lacking, to speak to issues such as praedial larceny or the theft of agricultural produce. Lastly, for agriculture to prosper, infrastructure, drainage, irrigation, and availability of water are some key issues yet to be fixed from a national perspective.
Quality planting material is essential in allowing a thriving agriculture sector and is being realised locally with a tissue culture lab. A second one is being touted to produce materials specifically for the sugar industry.
In piling up the challenges coming in the way of smart and modern practices, he pointed out that Guyana is in the ‘stone age’ when it relates to soil testing, whereby one simple test takes some four weeks. To embark on precision agriculture, data is important.
“The challenges for the Region are huge. Last year, I said cutting our food import bill by 25 percent by 2025 is a huge task given where we are today and especially in Guyana’s case, a growing disposable income. Even though we are producing and exporting more, we still will export more final products because we have a growth in national income.”

Investment
In 2022, it was projected that some US$7 billion investment was needed to achieve a 25 pe cent food import reduction. Jagdeo raised concerns that just a fraction of money has been invested while the 2025 deadline creeps in.
“I doubt that we have invested US$500 million in the Region in the sector. So how are we going to achieve a 25 percent cut by 2025 if we don’t invest? It requires money to achieve that. The goals are important but they have to be supported by policy environment and investments,” he zeroed in.
He added, “I don’t want to sound depressing but that’s the real state. We have to be frank, open, and admit where our deficiencies are if we want to really achieve the outcomes that we desire.”
Locally, investment in agriculture has increased by over 300 percent through budgetary allocations during the last three years. This represents some $33 billion.
It was recommended that there be a rethinking of the regional food system and what can be rolled out in each country based on their advantages.

Updated information
Meanwhile, the Vice President lamented on the lack of information at the level of Caricom to the Region’s population, as it pertains to projects and policies being undertaken on the agricultural front. He cited that recent searches for such only reveal old articles dating back several years.
Jagdeo said current information should be present at a first glance for the world to see. This is inextricably linked to increased support and interest from global partners and investors.
“If we have a regional agricultural strategy, we first of all have to ensure that the premier institution that is responsible for coordinating this regional policy, which is Caricom, that it has information that is current and productive, that will allow people around the world to understand where we’re headed. Right now, that’s absent.” (Rupa Seenaraine)