tomorrow

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– several Rupununi projects to be acceleratedGuyana and Brazil are expected to sign a major agreement, tomorrow, that will accelerate cross border agricultural investments, especially in the Rupununi.The agreement will see the development of several projects including corn, soybean, cashew and rice farms for the Regions Nine area.It will also cover technical help from Brazil in improving the monitoring systems for country’s forests and aquaculture training for farmers.Agriculture officials confirmed, yesterday, that Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud, and Foreign Minister, Carolyn Rodrigues, will be going to the neighbouring country for the much-touted CARICOM/Brazil Summit. President Bharrat Jagdeo is also attending the forum.The agreement will follow-up on four technical co-operation agreements between the governments of Guyana and Brazil signed early last year to boost agriculture development. These agreements were signed via the Ministry of Agriculture and the Brazilian Co-operation Agency.Government had said that areas of co-operation catered for upland rice production, corn production, aquaculture and forestry expertise.The upland rice production project would have provided opportunities for rice cultivation in hinterland regions. Rice is normally imported from the coast at a relatively high price. Also, there are opportunities for the rice market and its by-products as feed in the savannahs, especially in the Rupununi and neighbouring towns in Brazil.In the savannah lands which are suited for corn production, the introduction of ameliorated corn varieties will be explored with a rice/soyabean rotation. It noted, last year, that the development of domestic breeding especially poultry, small ruminants and swine, will be stimulated by the utilisation of corn as a source of food for animals.The aquaculture project focused on the need to promote the development of the “non-traditional” agriculture sub-sectors and will expand the agricultural base of the country, thereby reducing the adverse effects of the global food crisis.Accordingly, Guyana’s natural resources were seen as suitable for aquaculture and were highlighted for attracting domestic and foreign investment for the development of aquaculture.In the area of forestry management, the Brazilian government will provide training and technical expertise to boost monitoring of forest resources and reduce illegal logging with the use of satellite imaging and remote sensing to promote sustainable use of forests in Guyana.The Agriculture Ministry had anticipated that last year’s co-operation agreement will implement a programme for enhancing the capacity of technology adaptation directed to the development of these areas.CARICOM Secretary-General, Edwin Carrington, will head a high-level delegation from the Secretariat to the historic First CARICOM-Brazil Summit tomorrow in Brasilia.The Secretary-General’s delegation is expected to provide support to some 14 CARICOM Heads of Government and Delegations.This Summit is expected to identify avenues for the development of co-operation between CARICOM and Brazil in many sectors; political, commercial, economic, cultural, consular, and educational.