Georgetown: Agricultural Month 2014 was launched with a Food and Nutrition Cook- Off competition, in keeping with a strategic plan for the sector to ‘Eat what we grow’. The aim is to ultimately reduce the food import bill of Guyana, an issue which is also of concern in other countries across the CARICOM region.
The basis of the competition is to bring to the fore, dishes made using only products from Guyana. The judging was done on the percentage of local products used in the various dishes.
Minister of Agriculture Dr. Leslie Ramsammy pointed out that while the competition is to be scheduled annually, it will be used to promote the use of local foods and recipes. He added that it would also lend support to local farmers and agro processors, whist encouraging local employment and entrepreneurial opportunities.
The Minister pointed out that each time an imported product is used; it helps support employment in other countries making it more difficult to help in the development of “our own people in our own country, including the fact that we have to spend foreign exchange to bring in food that we can actually grow right here in Guyana.”
Pointing to the simplicity of the cook-off competition, Minister Ramsammy noted that the persons who prepared the meals were not professionals, just ordinary persons preparing dishes from local products. He pointed out that they have shown that food prepared with local products can be just as good as others, and also healthier.
The Minister pointed out that the new annual event is also an innovative way to launch Agriculture Month which will be observed in October and will focus on every day agriculture matters. He also pointed to new features which have been included in the observance of the month.
World Food Day to be observed on October 16 will become an annual day for all citizens to eat what is produced in Guyana. He stated that all Guyanese along with restaurants, big and small and hotels will be encouraged to stand by this theme. “All institutions, wherever food is prepared, we will encourage them to use recipes that make maximum use of local products…the goal is to one day prepare a meal in Guyana that has nothing that is imported,” the Minister declared. He added that the only products that are essential for meals on that day such as salt will be allowed.
Food handlers explain what their dishes are all about.
Minister Ramsammy added that surveillance will be conducted to garner the percentage of meals prepared from local products. That record will be kept for future reference to monitor the reduction of the dependence on imported products.
The second activity for Agriculture Month would be the publication of a Guyana Recipe Book which will feature recipes which feature mainly local ingredients. He urged Guyanese to send in their recipes pointing out that the criterion is the percentage of local commodities to be used in the dish.
Thirdly, the annual Agro Processors Day which is normally observed on the last Saturday of October will recognise agro-processors whilst highlighting their products. Minister Ramsammy noted that particularly small agro-processors will be recognised. He said the goal would be to secure markets for the products, so that farmers get the opportunity to grow their businesses.
“Our goal is to ensure our export market grow beyond sugar and rice,” Minister Ramsammy stated.
“From US$200 per capita, we are seeking to reduce that to a smaller sum,” the Minister said.
He pointed out that a large amount of food import includes snacks, which contribute to overweight and obesity, as well as “an increasing amount of micro-deficiency. Part of the problem comes from the fact that increasingly we are consuming processed food.”
The Minister noted that canned and packaged foods with greater amounts of salt and other items replace healthy food, and that the annual Food and Nutrition Cook-Out is part of the sensitisation campaign towards healthy, local eating for the Guyanese public.
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