This year carried a litany of challenges for farmers and by extension the agriculture sector.
The biggest challenged faced, however, was massive flooding which wiped out years of investments and brought on skyrocketing produce prices especially during the Christmas season. Tomatoes and sweet peppers which usually sell for around $6 to $10 per pound, now cost about $25 to $30 per pound on the retail market.
Late last month torrential rains left fields submerged in Aranguez South, San Juan forcing farmers to incur 100 per cent losses. Those in William Road, El Socorro South who not only lost crops but also livestock said the floods were reminiscent of those in 2018 which wiped away entire fields.
Also, for the third time in two months this year, farmers in Jerningham Junction, Cunupia, were left counting significant crop losses, and those in Tucker Valley, Chaguaramas also faced a similar flood crisis.
To compound to the flooding woes, many farmers do not own their own land and are unregistered and were therefore unable to access State help including the $10M relief which was allocated by Government in December.
President of the Agricultural Society of T&T (ASTT) Darryl Rampersad, who toured several of the affected areas, said while flooding is a natural disaster a better approach to infrastructural development for the farming communities is needed.
Rampersad emphasised that food security and food sustainability must go hand-in-hand with protecting local agriculture in the long term.
Agricultural Economist Dr Omardath Maharaj who was part of an Agricultural Multidisciplinary Voluntary Advisory Committee said suggestions coming from Plum Mitan farmers, who were also seriously affected by flooding, was to establish an action group among themselves supported by the Agriculture Ministry primarily to “bridge the communication gap and close the distance between the work of all stakeholders in the food crop project.
“It was suggested that a detailed work plan for maintenance of the food crop areas should also be developed by the Ministry of Agriculture to safeguard our food supply and farmer livelihoods considering all risks—natural or man-made,” Maharaj added.
The committee was recently invited by the ministry’s technical team on their visits to the Aranguez, Orange Grove and Plum Mitan food crop projects.
Maharaj explained the main purpose was to meet with farmers directly impacted, understand the perception and meaning of disaster through their experience, and to solicit ideas on the way forward as they are considered to be the nation’s first responders in any food security crisis.
“On the consumer end, we can expect the market to be weak in the variety of local agricultural commodities and strong on prices as demand increases for Christmas and until crop production recovers and stabilises across the country.
“However, while the disruption to primarily vegetable and seasoning production is mitigated, general technical and other support to farmers continue.
“Support with health and safety, marketing, financing, efforts in schools, home gardening and self-sufficiency, protected agriculture and shade house production, pest and disease management, tree crop production, livestock, hydroponics and aquatic food and other forms of food production is maintained,” Maharaj said.
According to the PSIP 2022, provision was made for Water Management and Flood Control (Orange Grove Food Crop Project).
This site was identified for the first phase and intended to benefit 250 farmers.
Praedial larceny, also remained a perennial problem with farmers again voicing their frustration about rampant thefts in 2022.
In Cumuto, for instance, they complained of being under siege by thieves who brazenly raided their citrus fields.
However, there were some positive elements for the sector in 2022 with the region’s second Agri Investment Forum and Expo held in T&T in August under the theme, “Transforming Agriculture through Innovation and Investment.”
The expected outcomes included raising awareness of the importance of food security and having a resilient and sustainable agriculture system; showcasing agriculture stakeholders and the advancements made across the sector over the decades; encouraging discussions between key stakeholders in the agriculture sector, both locally and regionally; creating investment opportunities for local or regional producers/entities across the agriculture value chain and improving agriculture production, productivity and value chains in the sector through shared knowledge and experience.
Minister of Agriculture Kazim Hosein further noted that such measures would also have a positive impact by reducing the country’s food import bill in the future, while also adding tremendous benefits and opportunities to be derived through the use of innovative and environmentally-friendly technologies within the sector.
Additionally, the T&T Chamber partnered with Southex Promotions to host the Food and Agriculture Expo at Gulf City Mall, La Romain in August this year.
The Supermarket Association, along with the Guyana Chamber of Industry and Commerce, also collaborated on this venture, which Southex CEO George Singh hopes to transform into a regional event, adding that the idea is to expand business in the local agricultural sector and reduce the cost of imports.
According to the Ministry of Trade and Industry T&T’s food import bill is over $5 billion annually, while the region reportedly imports around US$6 billion each year.
T&T Chamber President Charles Pashley also embraced the push for a regional approach to agriculture while noting more local private-sector and Government collaboration.
“For decades we, as a country, have shelved agriculture as something to resurrect at some time in the future. Our food and agriculture sector is very much in the spotlight now, as we confront the fallout from the far reaches of a war in Eastern Europe,” Pashley had said.
The United Nations predicted that by 2050, food production has to increase by 70 per cent to feed the world population which would stand at approximately 9.1 billion.
Pashley had also noted how T&T’s agricultural space shrunk over the years and the importance to safeguard them.
“Agricultural land area in T&T fell gradually from 1969, when we had 980 square kilometres, to our current level, to about 540 square kilometres.
“Preservation of our remaining agricultural land for agricultural purposes ought to be recognised as an important part of our national development agenda,” he added.
Regarding the efforts of the Agriculture Ministry in 2022, Maharaj lauded Hosein for taking an approach of greater consultation, collaboration and coordination of the already limited resources since the sector has grown accustomed to doing more with less.
Additionally, Maharaj also noted that on Monday the Ministry Fisheries partnered with the T&T Goat and Sheep Society (TTGSS) to create avenues to reduce the cost of meat while ensuring that the high quality of produce is maintained for consumers.
According to the Agriculture Minister the initiative is an extension of the Government’s farm-to-table project linking livestock farmers to the consumers to guarantee affordable, certified healthy meat for sale.
Hosein estimated that the market value for goat and lamb was $50 and $45 per pound, respectively. But through the ministry’s initiative, consumers can purchase goat and lamb directly from goat and sheep farmers at $38 and $35 per lb, respectively
The minister added the objective was about “putting people first” and also are aligned with Caricom’s goal of reducing the regional food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025 to achieve food security and nutrition for all.