On Wednesday, November 15, 2023, Food For The Poor (Guy) Inc (FFTP) collaborated with the Ministry of Agriculture through the National Agriculture Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) to provide a series of agricultural training to the Sandvoort Farmers Association. The first session focused on “Safe Use of Pesticides and Biodiversity” and benefited twenty (20) farmers from the Association.
Speaking at the opening of the training was FFTP (Guy) Inc. Social Worker, Ms. Stacy Parris-Jacobs who welcomed the farmers and the NAREI team. She stated that in the last six months, FFTP (Guyana) Inc. has been conducting a series of capacity development training sessions with farmers from Sandvoort Village. She also shared that through this training, the farmers will be able to enhance their knowledge and operational skills in pesticide quality control and regulatory management.
Mr. Dietmar Chichester Senior Inspector at NAREI taught the farmers on safely storing their pesticides. He explained that pesticide storage facilities must be located away from humans and animals, it must be well ventilated and it must be stored in a separate structure such as a utility room or garden shed. Mr. Chichester further went on to relay that pesticides must be stored in its original containers and should never be transferred to food or beverage containers. He also urged the farmers to read the labels of the pesticides to calculate the amount required to avoid wastage.
At the end of session Mr. Chichester shared,
“I believe the collaboration between FFTP (Guy) Inc. and NAREI was excellent. NAREI is attempting to find methods to engage with farmers and increase awareness regarding pesticides. We applaud FFTP (Guy) Inc. for recognizing the need and bringing farmers together for this training. We greatly appreciate it and we are pleased with the turnout and the level of interaction with the farmers.”
The farmers praised FFTP (Guy) Inc. and NAREI for their much-needed collaboration as they were able to expand their knowledge on the Safe Use of Pesticides and Biodiversity. They further noted that they are excited and will be eagerly looking forward to the next session.
This is the first in a series of agriculture business training sessions that will be provided through the partnership between FFTP (Guy) Inc. and NAREI for the Sandvoort Farmers Association. These trainings are aimed at developing the capacity of the Sandvoort farmers to better manage both the business and agricultural aspects of their farms and increase their income. With significant increases in yield, these farmers can earn more during harvest, which, in turn, can improve the local economy.
Food For the Poor (Guyana) Inc. support for the farmers at Sandvoort ties into United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #2 – “End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.” Over the years, the organization has been making significant contributions to agriculture and supports the government’s agenda of developing the agriculture sector and promoting national food security.