If we continually appear in our call for the government to prepare, publish, and implement a nationwide program of activities to mark the International Year of Fruit and Vegetables (IYFV), designated by the United Nations since December last year, that’s because we see possibilities not only for Guyana’s participation in a global event that can boost the morale of the large number of local farmers during a time of trials and frustrations, but also because we can use IYFV as an important foundation for consolidation agricultural sector further significant to build a safe system for food here in Guyana and the wider Caribbean.
Following a December 21, 2020, UN declaration marking the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables 2021, Stabroek Business decided that it would dedicate a portion of its editorial content to stories that seek to raise awareness of fruits and vegetables and their importance. both as food and as money earners for the agri-processing and agro-processing sectors. We understand that these are among the priorities of the country’s agricultural sector.
Since that time the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has published a report raising the scare of a potential global food shortage challenge (which, needless to say, will hit hardest poor countries) on the back of the COVID pandemic -19 existing.
What the FAO has said about the likelihood of an impending food crisis now places IYFV in an even more important perspective, that is, it may well be using IYFV to shed the weight of Nations United is behind an even more aggressive global acceleration of fruit and vegetable production in response to the food security challenges ahead.
Even before the recent FAO report was published, the Stabroek Business decided, as far as possible, to continue to draw attention to IYFV. The continuation of our effort, we figured, would have had to depend on cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, the state agency responsible for delivering the IYFG program, and the FAO’s office in Guyana speaking for the United Nations on IYFG here in Guyana.
A few weeks ago, after reading what was our first story on IYFGV, a representative from the FAO’s office in Guyana approached us and raised the possibility of a collaborative effort to highlight IYFV as part of our editorial activities. Agreed, and although the understanding is verbal we have already decided that we will look to the FAO office here for guidance on the global IYFV agenda and how best we can contribute to raising national awareness. Naturally, we thought it important that the Ministry of Agriculture was involved in any partnership to promote IYFV in Guyana. What’s more, we felt that the Ministry was by far the most suitable organization to prepare the IYFV program and lead its implementation. We remain keen to participate in such an initiative.
Our latest information does not suggest that the Ministry of Agriculture has, up to this time, announced a national program for IYFV.
Guyana should, rightly, be CARICOM’s key player in planning and implementing regional IYFV initiatives. In addition, the event allows for an additional measure of media coverage of our local farming communities, their work, their challenges, and how they fit into the overall national development picture.
We are still waiting for the Ministry to announce a national IYFV program and to work with the Ministry, the local FAO office, and the national farming community to ensure an effective program.
This is the last weekend before the end of the first quarter of 2021, we urge the Ministry to accelerate the rollout of its IYFV program.