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FM
Former Member

Oil and Gas sector to bring massive opportunities in agriculture, increased demand for food

https://oilnow.gy/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/WhatsApp-Image-2021-09-24-at-5.35.00-PM.jpegGuyana's Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, during his address to the GMSA's Business Luncheon on September 24, 2021.

As Guyana’s oil and gas industry rapidly expands, so too will the opportunities for the private sector to tap into the downstream product and service demands, particularly with regard to food supply. This is according to Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha during his address to the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association’s (GMSA) Annual Business Luncheon, which was held on September 24, at the Palm Court Restaurant in Georgetown.

In his presentation on ‘Emerging opportunities in Agriculture for the Private Sector in Guyana’s Oil and Gas Economy,’ Mustapha stated that the Government sees agriculture — in the context of a developing oil and gas economy — as immensely important.

“An unprecedented growth in national income from our newly-exploited natural resources, as positive and encouraging as this is, it can bring with it some challenges for the non-resource, tradeable sector. Given this, vibrant and competitive agriculture and manufacturing sectors are seen as critical in counteracting the adverse effects often associated with natural resource booms,” the Minister stated.

He posited that the projected unprecedented growth in national income, which will largely be driven by the petroleum sector, will serve to unlock opportunities in the traditional sectors—principally the agriculture and manufacturing sectors. “In particular, the demand for food, especially high-value fruits and vegetables, and livestock and dairy products are all projected to increase as incomes rise overtime and as the employment potential in the oil and gas sector rises,” Mustapha said.

Additionally, he said that an influx into the labour force will serve as a catalyst for a “large and potentially explosive growth in the downstream components of the food value chain, particularly wholesaling, retailing and logistics.”

Mr. Mustapha emphasised his administration’s commitment to providing the necessary support and an enabling environment to increase the competitiveness of local businesses to meet the demands of petroleum sector. He added that the Government has already begun implementing targeted interventions to support the agriculture sector, including incentives for the private sector and assistance to farmers and agro-producers.

Meanwhile, President of the GMSA, Mr. Rafeek Khan, challenged local food producers to realise the country’s potential to be the ‘breadbasket of the Caribbean’. “Guyana has been an important supplier of fresh farm produce and processed farm products to the Caribbean,” he stated. However, he pointed out that in 2018, Guyana’s food export/import ratio pegged imports at 75 percent, while exports stood at 25 percent. “Can you imagine for a second if it was the reverse—25 percent import and 75 percent export? For this to happen, we need to have more export-oriented domestic production and manufacturing of agro-products,” he stressed.

https://oilnow.gy/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/WhatsApp-Image-2021-09-24-at-5.35.02-PM.jpegGMSA’s President, Rafeek Khan during his address at the GMSA’s Business Luncheon on September 24, 2021.

Khan noted that while there has been a growing interest in strengthening and intensifying local food production in order to capture the regional market over the years, measures need to be implemented to mitigate the adverse effect of seasonal food production and food price volatilities. He continued, “As you know, food prices are going up, especially with our high freight costs from around the world imports to Guyana.”

He encouraged supermarkets and food distributors to also support local producers by offering their products on local shelves.

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@Former Member posted:

Oil and Gas sector to bring massive opportunities in agriculture, increased demand for food



“An unprecedented growth in national income from our newly-exploited natural resources, as positive and encouraging as this is, it can bring with it some challenges for the non-resource, tradeable sector. Given this, vibrant and competitive agriculture and manufacturing sectors are seen as critical in counteracting the adverse effects often associated with natural resource booms,” the Minister stated.

He posited that the projected unprecedented growth in national income, which will largely be driven by the petroleum sector, will serve to unlock opportunities in the traditional sectors—principally the agriculture and manufacturing sectors. “In particular, the demand for food, especially high-value fruits and vegetables, and livestock and dairy products are all projected to increase as incomes rise overtime and as the employment potential in the oil and gas sector rises,” Mustapha said.



Can someone tell me WTF this DOLT is talking about? What "unprecedented growth in national income" is he talking about? We are still the 2nd poorest nation in the western hemisphere and incomes have not increased since oil.

Unemployment is rampant and very few Guyanese are being employed in the oil sector. 20 jobs here 200 there doesn't cause an "unprecedented growth in national income".

And what are these farmers supposed to produce all this food with? Many are on the verge of bankruptcy and have no capital. Tons of losses with floods, loss of arable land because they built housing schemes on drainag areas and flooded out the land.

Which alternate universe do these fokkers live in? My God they're stupid. They just keep cranking this shit out for the likes of their idiot supporters who clap their hands and talk about "progress".

FM
@Spugum posted:

he's a scamp and not a very bright one

trawler license scandal

steel sheets scandal

You gotta love how they keep talking about these lofty "goals" and talking shit about GDP and economic numbers without a single mention of the impact of Covid!

Covid has impacted the world's largest economies, but these fools continue operating as thought it doesn't exist. This jackass is talking about  increasing food production and all kindsa shit without factoring in the impact of Covid on the labor force.

Clueless bastards. Tells you they think of the population as mules. Not even conscious of what the population faces.

FM

Guyana, Japan discuss areas for possible collaboration in agriculture

https://i0.wp.com/www.inewsguyana.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/WhatsApp-Image-2021-09-30-at-12.08.19-PM.jpeg?w=640&ssl=1Japanese Ambassador to Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, Tatsuo Hirayama, on Tuesday paid a courtesy call to Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha

Japanese Ambassador to Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, Tatsuo Hirayama, on Tuesday paid a courtesy call to Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha at his Regent Street office.

During the meeting, the officials discussed possible areas for collaboration to further develop Guyana’s agriculture sector, more specifically, the aquaculture industry and Guyana’s drainage and irrigation infrastructure.

Minister Mustapha told Ambassador Hirayama that the government, since assuming office, has been working to develop the country’s aquaculture sector.

“We are now developing our aquaculture industry. A lot more effort is being placed on ensuring sustainable fishing practices are employed so that our stock can be sustained and eventually increased over time. With the effect climate change is having around the world, fish stocks are depleting.

“In Guyana, we are working to double production in this industry by 2025. Japan is very skilled in this industry and has had many successes over the years so I hope that your government can offer technical support so that we can further develop our aquaculture industry,” Minister Mustapha said.

Ambassador Hirayama said he was pleased with the emphasis the government is placing on agriculture in Guyana. He also said it was important for countries to conserve their fishing resources by sustainably utilizing them.

“Agriculture is indeed an important industry for many countries including Japan. Food security is one of the most important issues for any country so I do agree with your government’s emphasis on agriculture, and in our case, fisheries is also important. The sustainable use of marine resources is one of the subjects we have a common interest in. We have to have responsible fishing industries and conserve fishing resources while utilizing the resources in a sustainable manner. In that sense we have to fight against IUU activities,” Ambassador Hirayama said.

The recent flooding has exposed the vulnerabilities of Guyana’s agriculture sector. As a result, the government has placed major emphasis on developing new infrastructure to help mitigate flooding across the country.

While speaking on the impacts the recent flooding had on the agriculture sector, Minister Mustapha said there was a need for structures like the Hope Canal to be constructed in other vulnerable areas to help mitigate flooding.

“As a result of the last flood, a significant percentage of the sector was destroyed. Since then, we’ve been discussing programmes to encourage and facilitate climate-smart agriculture. The government is also working to improve our drainage and irrigation infrastructure. In 2005, Guyana suffered from a lot of flooding in this part of the country; the East Coast of Demerara and Georgetown. After that, we built the Hope Canal.

“With this recent flood, Georgetown and the East Coast were not as affected as the other parts of the country. We need similar infrastructure so that we can mitigate flooding. Guyana is below sea level so we cannot stop flooding; instead, we have to try to mitigate it,” Minister Mustapha explained.

The two officials also discussed Guyana gaining access to Japanese markets, technical support for improving Guyana’s rice industry across the value chain, capacity building for effective water resources management, and technical assistance for improving cattle productivity and dairy farming.

Guyana and Japan have enjoyed diplomatic relations since June 1969. Over the years, the two countries have collaborated in sectors such as health and agriculture.

FM

Is this the same minister with the trawler license scanda? Aren't they allowing the Chinese to drain our waters of fish and put our fishermen at a disadvantage to earn a living? And the same azzhole is sitting there talking about "sustainable" fishing?

But keep the buzz words like "aquaculture", drainage, irrigation, flowing to impress alyuh BLIND, small minded supporters.

FM
Last edited by Former Member

Guyana is heading to be another Cuba. You can't find a fish in Cuba. Them communist fellas catch and export all the fish.

You lie..me bin a Cuba an me eat fish.  In fact, one day they had all you can eat labsta but me only eat wan.  Ah which Cuba you bin? Look like you a get you news fram dem same people who sey dem na gat bird a China because dem Chinese eat all a dem. 

T
@Totaram posted:

You lie..me bin a Cuba an me eat fish.  In fact, one day they had all you can eat labsta but me only eat wan.  Ah which Cuba you bin? Look like you a get you news fram dem same people who sey dem na gat bird a China because dem Chinese eat all a dem.

  AKA is a fake, making up lies for everything posted here

FM

Guyana is heading to be another Cuba. You can't find a fish in Cuba. Them communist fellas catch and export all the fish.

With over 900 different species of fish—22 of which are endemic freshwater species—to be found near Cuba and the archipelago, it’s not surprising that Cuba tends to attract a lot of naturalists as well as game fishers. Ernest Hemingway, for one, was an avid game fisher and took advantage of the Cuban water’s diverse fish life.

You can find clown fish, angelfish, tangs, groupers, and countless others coloring the blue waters or traversing the labyrinthine bright coral reefs. Above, turtles swim placidly in the warm waters alongside playing porpoises and dolphins. Flying fish scull the water with their tails as they open up their pectoral fins, gaining momentum and flitting along the surface.  Here are a few of our favorites!

Cuban Gar

Cuban Gar

These slick little fish are currently on the endangered species list. They have adapted well for the Cuban waters and are covered in a thin layer of oil that serves to help them move more easily through the water. These fish are another ‘living fossil’—a prehistoric beast, if you will, that is one of the most primitive species alive today. Although they benefit from their oily sheen, they do not enjoy inhabiting Cuba’s more swiftly flowing waters.

Although they can survive in both fresh and brackish waters, they prefer Cuba’s larger river arteries and swamps.

Lucifuga Fish

Lucifuga Fish

These unique fish enjoy the brackish water found in many of Cuba’s caves.

They have completely adapted to their dark habitat, and the four different species of Lucifuga fish in Cuba have lost the majority of their pigment and now have no eyes. With this visage, it is not a shock that many compare seeing them to the haunting image of seeing a ghost fish drift toward them in the pitch-black waters.

Goliath Grouper

Goliath Grouper

One monolith of the seas is the Goliath Grouper, a critically endangered fish that can reach up to 8 feet in its long lifetime. If they are communicating with other groupers or intimidating enemies, groupers make a low, rumbling sound that has the capacity to travel great distances under the water.



Fun Fact:
The Goliath groupers have a lifespan of around 30 to 50 years, and scientists suspect the large fish may change sex as they mature.

Fish of Cuba | Cuba Unbound

Mitwah

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