Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Nigel Hughes has outlined his party’s comprehensive plan for the agriculture sector which includes introducing transportation subsidies, creating seed banks, establishing food processing facilities, and developing several ports.
At the party’s recent press conference, Hughes said the AFC has recognised the issue of food accessibility and detailed measures to address it.
“Food access refers to the ability of individuals to acquire appropriate foods, shaped by legal, economic, political, and social systems. You can go to the market, and it may be full of vegetables and other produce, but if you don’t have the economic resources to purchase them, then you don’t have access. The food is available, but your ability to access it is restricted by your economic circumstances,” Hughes explained.
To tackle this, Hughes said the AFC intends to remove the economic barriers that limit access to food.
The party’s plan includes providing transportation subsidies for the distribution of nutrient-dense foods. Hughes also noted that the AFC is considering providing state-operated transportation for moving produce from farms to marketplaces. This initiative, he explained, would eliminate the cost of transporting vegetables from the farm to the market, thereby reducing the additional charges usually passed on to consumers.
Beyond transport subsidies, Hughes said the AFC plans to invest in organic agriculture, with the aim of establishing Guyana as a licensed organic certifier for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
The party also intends to set up seed banks in every Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) and in indigenous communities, selling seeds to residents at relatively low cost.
Other proposals include:
• Developing cassava starch processing facilities in indigenous communities targeting the global starch and gluten-free market.
• Building dehydration chambers and sanitary food packaging centres, subsidised for small producers.
• Establishing micro-loan centres for food-related ventures.
• Setting up independently approved processing facilities for fish, beef, and pork.
• Certifying and training chefs, and installing industrial kitchens in every region.
• Creating a fingerlings pond to replenish stocks of shrimp, prawns, and fish, using international expertise and data to rehabilitate and revitalise the fishing industry.
Hughes further stated that educational institutions will implement shade houses, aquaponics, and agroecological systems. Additionally, the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) and other research bodies will be tasked with producing ecologically friendly fertilisers to improve production not only in rice but across all agricultural sectors.
