Successful trial cultivation of potatoes and onions raises hope for reducing imports -NAREI CEO

There are many different types of potatoes and unions that could be trialled in Guyana. If I was younger I would have loved to try out the high yield planting and harvesting method the farmers use in Europe. Those cane fields could easily be converted into profitable farms for these crops.

Another PPP initiative started in 2011 bearing fruit. The issue is whether they can be competitive with the imports. Guyanese are sometimes their own worst enemies as they prefer foreign to local products.

Instead of trying to be competitive at this stage, the consumers should be encouraged to buy Guyanese produced food if it is of equal quality or better. Eventually production will pick up and cost of production will drop. Importing potato must be more expensive than growing it locally if the right kind of farmers are running the business.

I see imports of red bell pepper, brocolli, mushrooms and other American staples.  I know for a fact the red bell pepper can be grown locally. We have some lazy ass country men in Guyana who don't think outside the box.

Drugb posted:

 We have some lazy ass country men in Guyana who don't think outside the box.

That was a problem that my grandfather identified before I was even born. He used that to make a killing from selling vegetables and provisions. But Burnham and his friends in Linden just got jealous. Once imports of fertilizers and insecticides were banned, it became impossible to plant things successfully in Wismar. The soil there is just not suitable for agriculture, and the insect plague can make a vegetable bed unsuitable for harvesting within a day or two. 

We've been hearing about growing potatoes and onions since the 1970s.  Up until this day you cannot find a pound of potatoes or onions grown in Guyana in any of our markets. Let's hear about the potato chip and Onion rings factory.

Billy, dont knock it. It is a good idea and I wish they are successful

Billy Ram Balgobin posted:

We've been hearing about growing potatoes and onions since the 1970s.  Up until this day you cannot find a pound of potatoes or onions grown in Guyana in any of our markets. Let's hear about the potato chip and Onion rings factory.

Potato was successfully grown in Guyana in the seventies. But the PNC controlled the transport and distribution network. So very quickly sacks of potatoes started disappearing before the trucks reached the market. Eventually the production got abandoned due to the thefts.

Drugb posted:

I see imports of red bell pepper, brocolli, mushrooms and other American staples.  I know for a fact the red bell pepper can be grown locally. We have some lazy ass country men in Guyana who don't think outside the box.

I grew "sweet pepper" and bird pepper in  pots growing up in Guyana. Guyanese used to have a real go getter attitude. If you couldn't find something, make it. I don't think any of them old cars had original parts. Was always a piece from some other make and model that was made to work. I had a Caloi bicycle from Brazil and the kick stand broke. An uncle machined one out of a piece of rebar that was a hundred times stronger. Now they celebrating Halloween and Thanksgiving in GT.

Is the reparation money that made many of dem lazy.

GTAngler posted:

Drugb posted:

I see imports of red bell pepper, brocolli, mushrooms and other American staples.  I know for a fact the red bell pepper can be grown locally. We have some lazy ass country men in Guyana who don't think outside the box.

I grew "sweet pepper" and bird pepper in  pots growing up in Guyana. Guyanese used to have a real go getter attitude. If you couldn't find something, make it. I don't think any of them old cars had original parts. Was always a piece from some other make and model that was made to work. I had a Caloi bicycle from Brazil and the kick stand broke. An uncle machined one out of a piece of rebar that was a hundred times stronger. Now they celebrating Halloween and Thanksgiving in GT.

So true, we used to make car fenders with straighten 40 gallon drums. With some bondo and paint that thing is like new. Heaven help another car that hit it, because its strong like a tank.

I am from a family of twelve  and we seldom buy veggys or chicken.  We all had our part of the garden to grow what our parents specify and chicken, ducks, sheep and cows [for milk] to look after. Our parents were not even big time farmers.You don't want to know the consequence if you don't look after the plants and they die.

Now in GY, I see people taking a taxi for just three blocks, they even become to lazy to walk. I would walk leisurely for three/four hours and really enjoy the scenery.

Tola posted:

Now in GY, I see people taking a taxi for just three blocks, they even become to lazy to walk. I would walk leisurely for three/four hours and really enjoy the scenery.

Maybe they worried about getting robbed?

GTAngler posted:

Drugb posted:

I see imports of red bell pepper, brocolli, mushrooms and other American staples.  I know for a fact the red bell pepper can be grown locally. We have some lazy ass country men in Guyana who don't think outside the box.

I grew "sweet pepper" and bird pepper in  pots growing up in Guyana. Guyanese used to have a real go getter attitude. If you couldn't find something, make it. I don't think any of them old cars had original parts. Was always a piece from some other make and model that was made to work. I had a Caloi bicycle from Brazil and the kick stand broke. An uncle machined one out of a piece of rebar that was a hundred times stronger. Now they celebrating Halloween and Thanksgiving in GT.

Bai these day them people lazy bad. For instance, every year when I go, I keep a road racing bicycle there, and this is how I get around GT and the east coast/west bank, even riding all the way to parika/berbice/linden. All family driving lexus and and fancy cars to go 1 or 2 blocs, even the workers using taxi to get home. They say that I disgrace them when I ride my bicycle like a beggar man.  Everyone got a cell phone, to the lowly beggars. Bicycle only for children and those exercising. Things have changed drastically, I got some poorer family with big backyard that they could plant and mind fowl, but they lament the high cost of grocery instead the let grass grow and prefer to swing in hammock and tek breeze in the shade. 

Mr.T posted:

Billy Ram Balgobin posted:

We've been hearing about growing potatoes and onions since the 1970s.  Up until this day you cannot find a pound of potatoes or onions grown in Guyana in any of our markets. Let's hear about the potato chip and Onion rings factory.

Potato was successfully grown in Guyana in the seventies. But the PNC controlled the transport and distribution network. So very quickly sacks of potatoes started disappearing before the trucks reached the market. Eventually the production got abandoned due to the thefts.

What I conclude is that all the go getters left Guyana and only lazy men stayed behind.  

Nehru posted:

Billy, dont knock it. It is a good idea and I wish they are successful

Ditto

Mr.T posted: Is the reparation money that made many of dem lazy.

Remittance money to be exact. Your slip is understandable.

I saw the same when i was there,my cousin live in our house,the back yard bare nothing planted,no chickens or ducks,when we were there we had kitchen garden,poi running on the fence,ducks and chickens.

Drugb posted:

Mr.T posted:

Billy Ram Balgobin posted:

We've been hearing about growing potatoes and onions since the 1970s.  Up until this day you cannot find a pound of potatoes or onions grown in Guyana in any of our markets. Let's hear about the potato chip and Onion rings factory.

Potato was successfully grown in Guyana in the seventies. But the PNC controlled the transport and distribution network. So very quickly sacks of potatoes started disappearing before the trucks reached the market. Eventually the production got abandoned due to the thefts.

What I conclude is that all the go getters left Guyana and only lazy men stayed behind.  

That is universally true, the go getters get ahead, the lazy lay far behind.

Mr.T posted:

Tola posted:

Now in GY, I see people taking a taxi for just three blocks, they even become to lazy to walk. I would walk leisurely for three/four hours and really enjoy the scenery.

Maybe they worried about getting robbed?

Good point.  I always take a local person with me, when I am trying to find someone. Trust has disappeared and any strange person 'with an accent is a bandit'. Its very sad to see the lack of friendliness in the place where I have so many teenage memories.  When I am given a ride home, the driver waits, until I wave to him from the window. Whereas, in my teenage years I could go anywhere, anytime.

What made some Guyanese so selfish ?    

Why waste time to experiment with different crops, when it's easy to plant cocoa and the byproduct is high demand all over.

kp posted:

Why waste time to experiment with different crops, when it's easy to plant cocoa and the byproduct is high demand all over.

I thought coffee is more in demand to cocoa. I wouldn't call it a waste of time, had this been experimented with before and kept up it is possible there wouln't have been as much concern when rice and sugar took a dive. 

Drugb posted:

Another PPP initiative started in 2011 bearing fruit. The issue is whether they can be competitive with the imports. Guyanese are sometimes their own worst enemies as they prefer foreign to local products.

In all fairness, these were done under the FCH program back in the 70's.  I was actually surprised the PPP did not pursue these initiatives as it would have opened up avenues for diversification.  Guyana is a diverse land with differing soil structure, PH, temperature and humidity.  I was surprised when I visited the amount on cheap (dumped) potatoes the Govt allowed at the expense of local substitutes!  The Govt should impose added duties on such imports and use the funds to stabilize incomes of local farmers!

OK, leh mi hear, PNC by night!!

kp posted:

Drugb posted:

Mr.T posted:

Billy Ram Balgobin posted:

We've been hearing about growing potatoes and onions since the 1970s.  Up until this day you cannot find a pound of potatoes or onions grown in Guyana in any of our markets. Let's hear about the potato chip and Onion rings factory.

Potato was successfully grown in Guyana in the seventies. But the PNC controlled the transport and distribution network. So very quickly sacks of potatoes started disappearing before the trucks reached the market. Eventually the production got abandoned due to the thefts.

What I conclude is that all the go getters left Guyana and only lazy men stayed behind.  

That is universally true, the go getters get ahead, the lazy lay far behind.

Nonsense, yes there are many lazy people, but there are many hard-working people too.  You saw recently I posted a clip with women doing well after a donation on a rain shield for the crops.  There are many hardworking people in Guyana but there needs to be sensible policy to make it worth their while also.  With the cheap potatoes dumped on the market, how does an edoe farmer even survive?

Please don't insult all Guyanese because some got "fattened" by their US/Canada relatives!

I think you people are too short-sighted when it comes to developing a nation.  You all want to keep Guyana in the pre-industrial era by glorifying and valuing small family farming and Blacksmiths  instead of modern large farms and factories.  Does growing potatoes have a comparative advantage than growing other crops?  We have to remember that we all ultimately succumb to market forces regardless of how plausible our idea may appear. Gov't. cannot force people to buy what they produce. Businesses and farms must study the consumer habits, likes, and dislikes and tap into it. To successfully grow potatoes and making it into a profitable industry is no easy task. Our farmers will have to work hard at producing potatoes at a cost that can compete with imports. The quality must be good and the price your charge competitive. I think I see people getting into a fantasy world with the idea of producing potatoes.

Mr.T posted:

Billy Ram Balgobin posted:

We've been hearing about growing potatoes and onions since the 1970s.  Up until this day you cannot find a pound of potatoes or onions grown in Guyana in any of our markets. Let's hear about the potato chip and Onion rings factory.

Potato was successfully grown in Guyana in the seventies. But the PNC controlled the transport and distribution network. So very quickly sacks of potatoes started disappearing before the trucks reached the market. Eventually the production got abandoned due to the thefts.

I suspect guys like Warria were driving GMC trucks carrying those precious potatoes.  Anyway, on a serious note, farmers interesting in growing potatoes should work with NARI and their lending institutions and decide if it's worth investing serious money into it. Very soon we will be able to order GUYFRIES and GUYRINGS made from our own home grown potaties and onions.

Drugb posted:

Mr.T posted:

Billy Ram Balgobin posted:

We've been hearing about growing potatoes and onions since the 1970s.  Up until this day you cannot find a pound of potatoes or onions grown in Guyana in any of our markets. Let's hear about the potato chip and Onion rings factory.

Potato was successfully grown in Guyana in the seventies. But the PNC controlled the transport and distribution network. So very quickly sacks of potatoes started disappearing before the trucks reached the market. Eventually the production got abandoned due to the thefts.

What I conclude is that all the go getters left Guyana and only lazy men stayed behind.  

Don't forget the thieves, crooks, and murderers. Guyanese living abroad behave in general far more civilized than the ones left behind. But laziness is certainly top of the list for those who are still there. I remember calling my bets cousin two years ago to talk about investing into a small startup project. The SOB was looking for something far easier to do. Like smuggling cocaine, with me paying for the purchase from the cartel. Anything involving a spade and shovel was far too much hard work for him.

Gilbakka posted:

Mr.T posted: Is the reparation money that made many of dem lazy.

Remittance money to be exact. Your slip is understandable.

Gilbakka posted:

Mr.T posted: Is the reparation money that made many of dem lazy.

Remittance money to be exact. Your slip is understandable.

They feel that they are entitled to compensation from those of us abroad for something only they know about...

cain posted:

kp posted:

Why waste time to experiment with different crops, when it's easy to plant cocoa and the byproduct is high demand all over.

I thought coffee is more in demand to cocoa. I wouldn't call it a waste of time, had this been experimented with before and kept up it is possible there wouln't have been as much concern when rice and sugar took a dive. 

We won't be able to compete with the likes of Brazil. They have been known to drive foreign coffee beans supplier off the map if they feel threatened.

Billy Ram Balgobin posted:

I think you people are too short-sighted when it comes to developing a nation.  You all want to keep Guyana in the pre-industrial era by glorifying and valuing small family farming and Blacksmiths  instead of modern large farms and factories.  Does growing potatoes have a comparative advantage than growing other crops?  We have to remember that we all ultimately succumb to market forces regardless of how plausible our idea may appear. Gov't. cannot force people to buy what they produce. Businesses and farms must study the consumer habits, likes, and dislikes and tap into it. To successfully grow potatoes and making it into a profitable industry is no easy task. Our farmers will have to work hard at producing potatoes at a cost that can compete with imports. The quality must be good and the price your charge competitive. I think I see people getting into a fantasy world with the idea of producing potatoes.

Small farming has far greater benefits than large farms. You only have to look at Europe where large farms need government subsidies and ties up that guarantee the sale of the harvests.

Billy Ram Balgobin posted:

I think you people are too short-sighted when it comes to developing a nation.  You all want to keep Guyana in the pre-industrial era by glorifying and valuing small family farming and Blacksmiths  instead of modern large farms and factories.  Does growing potatoes have a comparative advantage than growing other crops?  We have to remember that we all ultimately succumb to market forces regardless of how plausible our idea may appear. Gov't. cannot force people to buy what they produce. Businesses and farms must study the consumer habits, likes, and dislikes and tap into it. To successfully grow potatoes and making it into a profitable industry is no easy task. Our farmers will have to work hard at producing potatoes at a cost that can compete with imports. The quality must be good and the price your charge competitive. I think I see people getting into a fantasy world with the idea of producing potatoes.

Firstly, no one say Potatoes will be the winner takes it all.  However, unless you create the conditions for anything to sustain itself, you will never get past the starting gate.  No nation will be competitive with excess produce from large subsidized nations dumped on the spot market.  This is why smaller agro-based nations need to protect local producers and allow them to grow and achieve critical mass to compete.  It is either that, or you provide the subsidies the large nation do to compete.  This is a losing proposition.

Regarding the consumer habits, etc, that's all well and good, but lacking cheap power to stimulate downstream development, that is a pipe dream.  Furthermore, regardless of all this, Guyana is a very small market of less than a million people, so you well need to seek regional markets to make anything work on a larger scale.

BRB, the fantasy is actually what you say, to believe you will get to that point without first achieving and overcoming the basics!

Mr.T posted:

Billy Ram Balgobin posted:

I think you people are too short-sighted when it comes to developing a nation.  You all want to keep Guyana in the pre-industrial era by glorifying and valuing small family farming and Blacksmiths  instead of modern large farms and factories.  Does growing potatoes have a comparative advantage than growing other crops?  We have to remember that we all ultimately succumb to market forces regardless of how plausible our idea may appear. Gov't. cannot force people to buy what they produce. Businesses and farms must study the consumer habits, likes, and dislikes and tap into it. To successfully grow potatoes and making it into a profitable industry is no easy task. Our farmers will have to work hard at producing potatoes at a cost that can compete with imports. The quality must be good and the price your charge competitive. I think I see people getting into a fantasy world with the idea of producing potatoes.

Small farming has far greater benefits than large farms. You only have to look at Europe where large farms need government subsidies and ties up that guarantee the sale of the harvests.

Guyana needs to look to the smaller European model and not measure against the large nations.  It's will never work!

Best news out of Guyana for the year.  Credit to President Granger.  I tip my hat to you on this one Sir.  Guyana must learn to grown their own food and stop importing all that shit from "fariegn".

KishanB posted:

Best news out of Guyana for the year.  Credit to President Granger.  I tip my hat to you on this one Sir.  Guyana must learn to grown their own food and stop importing all that shit from "fariegn".

Has nothing to do with jackass Granger, NAREI was an initiative started under the PPP in 2011. 

Drugb posted:

KishanB posted:

Best news out of Guyana for the year.  Credit to President Granger.  I tip my hat to you on this one Sir.  Guyana must learn to grown their own food and stop importing all that shit from "fariegn".

Has nothing to do with jackass Granger, NAREI was an initiative started under the PPP in 2011. 

You are a LIER,you should bag your face from GNI for a while,trying to give credit to the Piss Pot Party.

click on link http://wusc.ca/en/propel

http://assets.wusc.ca/WUSCwebs...gest-5-fall-2016.pdf

see page 12 on link above

Encouraging results from trial cultivation of potatoes and onions in Green Land of Guyana. Ample cause for national pride.

But no, there must be a dampening of spirit. All because some of us are obsessed with taking credit, who must get credit for this, who must get credit for that. Not money credit. POLITICAL PARTY CREDIT. 

Rass, man. Why does that matter? Why can't we all be pleased with our little accomplishments unconditionally? If a venture can benefit the general population, why not applaud it? Are we moving to a stage when the potatoes must be pulled out of the soil showing a natural marker like PPP INITIATIVE or PNC INITIATIVE?

These things spoil my day and cause me to cuss.

Division bhai,it continues unabated,

that's the mindset of some party supporters,they jump up and down thumping their chest bellowing we party do this and do that.

Guyanese need soul searching to restrict the Ethnic divide,it can be done ,the people need to refrain from following the Political Leaders who propagate Ethnic division.

Django posted:

Division bhai,it continues unabated,

that's the mindset of some party supporters,they jump up and down thumping their chest bellowing we party do this and that.

Mannin Django. Mark your words. Look in the mirror and ask yourself if you are one of these people.

skeldon_man posted:

Django posted:

Division bhai,it continues unabated,

that's the mindset of some party supporters,they jump up and down thumping their chest bellowing we party do this and that.

Mannin Django. Mark your words. Look in the mirror and ask yourself if you are one of these people.

Marnin Bhai Skelly,

Your reply was a little early,was editing my post,take a peek at my full post.

If imported potatoes are cheaper and of better quality then your local potato producers will perish. Don't expect every household to grow potatoes. Farmers will have to produce to supply the local markets. To do so they will have to invest their monies and borrowed funds. If they cannot make a profit then they will plant other crops.

Okay, let's see what happens two years from this Memorial Day weekend.