Listen to opening of Workshop on Inclusive Evidence-Based Coverage of Agriculture and Rural Development

Last Updated on Saturday, 5 October 2013, 2:53 by GxMedia

Agriculture Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy addressing the opening of the workshop

Head of Resource Mobilisation at the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) Maurice Wilson, lamented that “we have constantly underestimated this overriding importance of agriculture” in many sectors. 

Speaking at the opening of a Workshop on Inclusive Evidence-Based Coverage of Agriculture and Rural Development, at the 12th Caribbean Week of Agriculture, he said it was the media’s role to emphasise the importance of agriculture through “sexy” stories.” “The media could do it. The media has the journalistic skills.”

Manager of Knowledge Management and Communication Programme at The Netherlands-based Technical Centre for Agriculture (CTA) emphasised the importance of designing good policy based on “high quality evidence.”

Guyana’s Agriculture Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, a former Health Minister, highlighted the importance of good nutrition to combat rising Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs).

He also touched on the importance of mechanisation to combat labour shortage. Concerns were also raised about the absence of proper research and development since the colonial times.