Premier commends Guyana on achieving full food security
Amid growing calls for the British Virgin Islands to adopt stronger food security policies, Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has applauded Guyana for becoming the only country in the world to achieve full self-sufficiency in food production.
With a population of just under one million, Guyana has been recognised for producing enough food to sustain its entire population without relying on imports for any major food groups.
“Let me just commend Guyana. They are doing extremely well as it pertains to food security,” Premier Wheatley said during the recent CARICOM meeting in Jamaica. “President Irfaan Ali is the head of food security within CARICOM, and he’s using all the great practices, lessons, and principles in Guyana to the wider organisation.”
As global economic uncertainty grows—particularly in light of destabilising U.S. tariffs—Premier Wheatley said CARICOM is forging new partnerships with Guyana and Suriname to improve the movement of goods across the region.
“As part of CARICOM, we are establishing transportation from Suriname and Guyana straight up through the island chain. We’ll be able to benefit once the shipping links are established,” he explained. “CARICOM had a [goal of] 25 per cent [food import] reduction by 2025. We didn’t quite get there, but we’ve got great momentum. The Virgin Islands will benefit from that, and we ourselves will be ramping up to reduce our imports.”
Guyana recently agreed to allocate 50 acres of land for Barbadian farmers to cultivate, and during a 2023 trade mission, a similar proposal was made to BVI delegates.
With the country’s oil boom and economic expansion, many observers believe shipping costs from Guyana could decline in the near future—potentially boosting trade and regional food access.
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AND WHEREAS the agricultural industry continues to be neglected by this Government which was evidenced by the admission of the Junior Minister for Agriculture that the Government has no plan for the development of the industry.
AND WHEREAS the Premier and Minister of Finance and Agriculture has been asked repeatedly by farmers and Members of the Opposition to subsidise the agricultural industry to increase food production which is needed now more than ever particularly in light of the global tariff wars and possible disruptions to food supply chains.
Our people must wein themselves off of the obesity industry.
They must begin to take better intiatives at being healthy and being knowledgable of what they put inside.
They must seek help when it is clear that they have become food addicts.
We look down and sigamtize the person suffering with a drug affliction, but praise and up lift the person who is addicted to the food drug.
Last, we must be encouraged to use any and every. piece of land available to us to plant our healthy non obesity creating food.
We must stop being lazy and dependent solely on addiction obesity creating industries.
Agriculture requires dedication & work. No way in the BVI
Something we not doing but rushing to get independence. Clowns
No exports
No solar back up
No proper agriculture
No constant running water throughout
why doesn’t he ask them how they did it, and then try that here
If were it not for the word independence,most will not have a peep squeek to make.
Biggin up somebody else while your people suffer
Guyana is a proper country+, BVI is just a village with too many autocratic, over paid, power hungry village boys doing nothing
Guyana motto was Feed Clothes and House themselves since in the 1970’s They have achieved Feeding themselves, they are close to housing, but clothing themselves is out of their reach.