Food security not a partisan matter

THE EDITOR: It is unfortunate that the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) could not set aside its negative persona and support, even grudgingly, the commendable move by the Keith Rowley Government in organising the Agri-Investment Forum and Expo which concluded at the weekend. This event was part of the effort by Caricom leaders in treating with food security in the Caricom community.

Food security should not be a partisan matter. Food security must rise above politics. It should be of concern to all of us. An editorial in one of the daily newspapers on August 20 declared that food security should be treated as “the region’s number one priority.”

UNC spokesman on agriculture Ravi Ratiram and his band of protesters who picketed the opening of the forum and expo may do well to ponder the editorial’s advice: “Disruption in the food supply will not only result in hunger and inflation, but also social and economic turmoil.”

That is a reality worth avoiding. And the UNC as the main opposition party with a substantial following should see the new Caricom initiative as something worthy of support. It is disingenuous for the UNC to say it supports the Caribbean initiative but not the move by the TT Government to boost agriculture.

Yes, there is enough blame to go around for the state of agriculture in the country. Every government since independence inscribed in its election manifesto good plans to increase agricultural production. Indeed, every government established a ministry of agriculture or of food production. And ploughed substantial resources therein. What went wrong?

It may be too late to search for answers. And at any rate, neither blaming, pointing fingers nor marching in protest will fix the problem. Those who are engaged in such unproductive and useless exercises really have no plans to solve anything.

Indeed, we all should heed the advice of Caricom Private Sector Organisation (CPSO) chairman Gervase Warner, who noted, “It is clear to us that we are not going to get help from our colonisers of the past. We are not going to get help from big, developed countries. This is our problem for us to address ourselves.”

Prime Minister Rowley has been actively pursuing new initiatives for investment in agriculture with Guyana. This partnership aims at creating the environment for large-scale farming and new opportunities in food production.

The highly successful expo exposed positive signs for value-added local production. It also tells the story that many people are finding innovative ways to entrepreneurship instead of wringing their hands in despair.

HARRY PARTAP

former UNC MP