Guyanese urged to start kitchen gardens to ensure food security

COVID-19 outbreak

Guyanese are being urged to start utilising available space in their yard to start kitchen gardens to ensure food security amid coronavirus (COVID-19).
This is being encouraged by research scientist attached to NAREI, Reynard Ward, who said waste from the kitchen is ideal for organic manure via compost.
“Persons might not know how to compost stuff, but the waste of those fruit peels that you have, you can put them in a container and ensure that it has a hole at the bottom of it so that the excess water can drain off. We have some amount of soil in our yards, or some sand, we can mix that sand with a well decomposed pen manure to put into containers and plant your seeds,” he said.
Ward explained that starting a kitchen garden is a low-cost exercise that will benefit each household in the long run. He emphasised that at this time the human body needs fruits and vegetables that will boost the immune system.
Last Wednesday, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), Dr Oudho Homenauth encouraged Guyanese to produce their food even if it is in a very small way.
“One of the things about this virus is that it can be contracted when persons have physical contact… so if everybody goes to the market place you do know what can happen. If everybody does a little bit of gardening, in their backyards if they have their space things would be better. If you do not have a backyard, you can use containers… This will help in not going out as often as they normally do”, he noted
However, he assured that Guyana has enough food, especially fruits and vegetables, to survive the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are a food secure nation to a large extent especially as it relates to fresh fruits and vegetables so we wouldn’t need to depend on imports of food”, Homenauth said.
Meanwhile, Dr Homenauth said that there is a slight increase in demand for seedlings and persons can contact NAREI for help and support.
“Although we may be physically closed, if persons contact us, we can make arrangements for them to acquire whatever their needs are,” he said.
He further urged that persons properly wash all fruits and vegetables before consuming them.