Farmers' Organizations in Guyana participate in a National Workshop to strengthen the smallholder producers sector

The Farmers’ Organizations for Africa, Caribbean, and Pacific Programme (FO4ACP) brought together representatives of farmers' groups, government institutions, and other stakeholders at a National Stakeholder Workshop aimed at “Strengthening the Capacity of Farmers' Organizations to Promote Sustainable Family Farming.” The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Procasur Corporation organized the workshop. The objective was to open a space for dialogue among producers and their governmental and non-governmental partners to interface and discuss challenges faced by small-scale farmers and identify standard solutions to improve the quality of the family farming sector in Guyana.

George Jervis, Chief Technical Officer of the Ministry of Agriculture of Guyana, delivered remarks on behalf of Mr. Madalall Ramraj, Director General of the Ministry, and emphasized support for the FO4ACP initiative because of the timeliness complementarity to their transformative agenda for agriculture.

“It aligns with the government's plans to help farmers grow more and be better connected to markets, thus earning more and living better; the Guyanese government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, is working with people who need specific support and farmers who need to expand and diversify their production through investments. As Guyana continues to evolve as a culture of innovation within the Region, we are implementing the agri-food system strategy for transformation…with special consideration for target groups such as micro, small and medium enterprises, family farming cooperatives, and women and youth”, said Jervis.

Farmers' organizations in Guyana have long played significant roles in supporting farmers and their communities to gain better access to finance and markets and to boost economic prosperity. Despite this, their training needs continue to increase as they navigate challenges due to changing social, economic, and environmental conditions, which compounds their abilities to remain viable.

Challenges and opportunities for smallholder farmers

Participants could identify and discuss challenges small-scale farmers face in the country and outline potential solutions and options to solve the binding constraints. Among the challenges identified were management and access and management issues, lack of access to sufficient and consistent irrigation, market access, and guarantees needed for financing and communication.

Through the joint work intended with the FO4ACP Programme, local government agencies, and stakeholders, it is possible to advance in some lines of work that are favorable to local farmers, such as access to the appropriate technology, adequate access to new markets, strengthening alliances among farmers' organizations within the country and with a regional vision, enhance leadership in each of the organizations. It is foreseen that these lines will form a central part of the design and implementation of a training programme tailored to the needs of the farmers’ groups participating in the FO4ACP Programme. 

Dr. Gillian Smith, FAO Representative in Guyana, highlighted that “agriculture, in particular, has been identified as one of the productive sectors that is key to the sustainable development, and expansion of Guyana’s economy, and for the well-being of all Guyanese.”

The representatives from the Farmers’ Organizations agreed on the next steps for the FO4ACP activities in Guyana, considering the importance of adjusting the concept of Family Farming to the country’s reality while building capacity in the organizations to develop their businesses and institutional portfolio.

In the medium term, it is proposed to design and deliver training courses requested by farmers' organizations, with the support of the partner agencies and organizations in Guyana, as well as exchange experiences of best practices with other countries and regions participating in the FO4ACP to address a growing set of uncertainties.

About the FO4ACP Program

In the Caribbean, the FO4ACP Programme is implemented by the FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, Corporación PROCASUR, and Agricord. In addition to Guyana, the Programme is implemented in Belize, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica, Haiti, and St. Lucia. It is financed by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), together with the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).