Guyana is one of two countries (Belize being the other) in the Caribbean to reduce hunger by 50 percent last year, says Lystra Fletcher-Paul, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) representative. Fletcher-Paul indicated that Guyana knows what it wants in terms of agriculture in the Caribbean. Though the country has a high food production rate there is an issue of accessibility and this is the case in most hinterland communities where transportation is a challenge. Other Caribbean countries have become dependent on imported food and the emphasis is not on agriculture like Guyana. Explaining further, Fletcher-Paul stated that Guyana has land space available for agricultural purposes, while other countries like Trinidad and Tobago focus on other industries like petroleum.

The Caribbean Region is confronting an ever increasing food import bill which now stands at US$4B. […] They need to have the will to increase their agricultural output. Fletcher-Paul noted that agriculture needs to be featured in the schools’ timetables as it is necessary to get children involved in agriculture. Utilizing agriculture as a school based learning tool would increase the importance placed in this field. […]

Fletcher-Paul emphasized that in Guyana, under the All ACP Agricultural Commodities Project, the Guyana Agricultural Producers’ Association (GAPA) assisted the Kuru Kuru Crop and Livestock Farmer’s Association to develop a business model and strategic action plan to improve the linkages between their farmers and buyers of eddoes.

Source: guyanesenews.com

http://brussels.cta.int/index.php?option=com_k2&id=5851:guyana-belize-reduced-hunger-by-50-percent-in-2010&view=item&Itemid=54