May 4, 2016 Source

Dear Editor,

The rice cereal factory which was built for millions of dollars by the previous administration  to create employment for 200 Essequibians has become a white elephant at Anna Regina Industrial site.This spanking new building is lying idle without any activity. I doubt whether the Minister of Agriculture is aware of such a building in Essequibo; it is yet to be commissioned by this new administration and put to work for the purpose for which it was built. This factory could at least help the rice millers and farmers with their rice and paddy; I am still wondering if those who are in charge of this region know about this factory either and where it is located.

The new government has not had any achievements reducing joblessness in Essequibo, although it has the potential to make economic use of all the raw materials available in the rice industry. We have an enormous waste of resources resulting from the failure to link manufacturing activities with our resource base; a failure to carry forward manufacturing processes to higher stages ‒ all this can create employment. The President should add to his cabinet a Junior Minister of Agriculture  who can intensify efforts to increase the links between industry and our resources. He can link agriculture (including fisheries), forestry and livestock more integrally.

The  Ministry of Agriculture is too big for one minister, after all agriculture is important for the development of our  country.

The government should also formulate a policy objective of national self-sufficiency in food. In the resolute pursuance of this policy, the government should restrict the importation of a wide range of food items which we do not need or which are produced here by our farmers. In this way the government will be able to encourage the farmers to produce more food and till their lands. This will also ensure that the country and people have an adequate, regular and varied supply of nutritious food. We still import some food items, largely because of acquired taste.

There is  absolutely no reason why we should import those foods when we can produce them here in Guyana, The government has to start thinking outside the box, since the time is fast approaching when we may have to select between continuing to import food items that we still cling to, and surviving as a nation. We should make full use of the cereal factory by developing a range of new products on the basis of the rice industry, eg, breakfast cereal for the school children, ‘holiday foods,’ rice puffs, rice flour, edible oil from the rice bran, wine, etc. We must make better use of the investments we already have.

Every industry must be regarded as a hub from which a network of other industries can radiate and support one another.

Yours faithfully,

Mohamed Khan