Black Immigrant Daily News

…must encourage women, youth into workforce

President Dr Irfaan Ali has said that systemic changes are necessary if Guyana and the rest of the Caribbean Region are going to be food secure.

He told a Science Summit of the United Nations General Assembly via Zoom on Monday that for far too long, there has been a passive approach to food security, which has amplified the problem at the regional level.

The Head of State, who was the keynote speaker at the food security forum, proposed an overhaul of the regional agriculture system to not only make it less laborious but to encourage women and youth into the workforce.

President Dr Irfaan Ali

Enhanced technological use, he pointed out, would be imperative to develop the new system.

“How do we ensure that more women are leading farms, using science and technology as aids? We cannot build an agricultural system or a production system that does not have the future in mind. What we have now is a lot of young people not going into agriculture.  The question is, why? Because we still promote agriculture in the traditional way,” the President is quoted as saying at the Summit.

To change the system, President Ali said that Governments need to make larger investments, remove the red tape hampering the flow, use individual strengths for the collective good and enhance private sector partnerships.

“If the Caribbean believes that we can do this singularly, we’re fooling ourselves. This requires partnership and a willingness of all stakeholders to work in a cohesive manner, utilising each other’s competitive advantage and pushing each other’s competitive advantage to the benefit of the Region. That is what we’re doing.”

Country-to-country partnerships

The President also spoke of the land available in Guyana and Suriname, the technological know-how of Roraima, Brazil, and the unique advantages of several Caribbean islands. Overall, he explained that the Region should be investing at least 7.5 per cent of their national budgets in agriculture and food production in the short term for there to be a possibility of achieving a 25 per cent reduction in food importation by 2025.

He also highlighted general cooperation and country-to-country partnerships, especially between Guyana and Barbados.

The urgency in food security, the President stated, is not only a Caricom concern but a global issue.  Reference was made to the hindering factors, including the pandemic, which has skyrocketed the global food import bill to its staggering US$1.8 trillion projection.

He said that as of June 2022, the number of acute food insecure persons has increased to 345 million in 82 countries and out of that amount, some 2.8 million, or nearly 40 per cent of the population in the English-speaking Caribbean, are food insecure.

He emphasised that at all levels, there needs to be short and long-term responses to boost food production and nutrition, improve food security, reduce risk and strengthen the food systems.

“The global, regional, and national food systems must become more responsive to the needs of the population. The system has to be responsive to the needs of the population to give them healthy and affordable diets, inclusive of food sustainable sustenance and enforce good livelihood for all, especially small economies.”

The President said that food security was the main issue at the UN General Assembly this year, which demonstrated its urgency.

“Did we actually realise what took place in the UN? For the first time, the macro issues for food security, climate change, and everything else fell under the umbrella of food security. Every single address at the UN, every single side event had the issue of food security.”

With the spotlight on food security, President Ali said that it is now time for Small Island Developing States and Low-Lying Coastal Countries to push funding agencies and to work with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the UN to become food secure.

“If we can’t do it now, then we will be in serious problems in the long term.”

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Black Immigrant Daily News

El alcalde de Hormigueros, Pedro García Figueroa, resaltó que el 90 por ciento de su ciudadanía cuenta con agua debido a lo que describió como una comunicación efectiva efectiva con la Autoridad de Acueductos y Alcantarillados (AAA), aunque señaló que la falta de diésel amenaza el progreso, al nivel de tener que apagar los generadores que mantienen funcionando las bombas de la Autoridad.

“Estos generadores se colocan en estos sistemas pero hay que darles mantenimiento cada cierta cantidad de horas porque está prendío 24 horas. Luego, hay que echarles diésel. La entrega de diésel al municipio y Acueductos, pues, ha disminuido, así que hemos tenido que, en ocasiones, apagar el generador […] El gobernador del país tiene que empujar”, indicó el alcalde para describir una situación que mantiene en crisis al municipio.

Más temprano, el general José Reyes, de la Guardia Nacional, explicó que dentro de su misión no está asignada la entrega del combustible para las bombas de la AAA, debido a que se necesita una capacidad superior para los tanques.

Nota relacionada: Guardia Nacional no ha entregado diésel a supermercados porque no es parte de su misión asignada

Asimismo, reiteró, una vez más, que la luz en los campos tardará hasta tres meses en regresar debido a que tienen más de 80 transformadores, entre otros elementos, en el piso. Detalló que aunque LUMA Energy está trabajando para energizar el casco urbano, se ha dejado de lado a la zona rural. Ante esto, informó que ya coordinaron brigadas municipales para asistir a la privatizadora abriendo caminos.

No obstante, señaló que “tienen que mantener esa comunicación efectiva con los municipios […] La comunicación de LUMA con los alcaldes, directo con los alcaldes, no existe. Es una comunicación donde nos ponen un interlocutor” que no le satisface tanto como el ejercicio que llevan con la AAA, que comunica a los directores regionales con los ejecutivos municipales.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Le gouvernement a présenté le projet de loi de finances 2023, lors du conseil des ministres qui s’est tenu lundi matin. Le total des crédits budgétaires, hors charge et amortissement de la dette d’État, s’élève à 450,3 milliards d’euros contre 437,6 en 2022.

France-Antilles Martinique

1044 mots – 27.09.2022

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Hanover police launched a manhunt for ten men on their wanted list and have made an urgent appeal for these individuals to turn themselves in to the Lucea police immediately.

The men are wanted for a number of serious crimes from murder to rape, and abduction among other illegal acts.

The men on the list have been identified as Ricardo Palmar, otherwise called ‘Richie’. He is wanted for murder.

Eric Clarke, otherwise called ‘Legacy’, whose last known address is Cash Hill, Hanover. He is wanted for murder. Vernon Shearer, otherwise called ‘Vandam’, whose last known address is Upper Rock, Spring, Hanover. He is wanted for abduction, rape, illegal possession of a firearm, and assault at common law.

Kayon Casselle, otherwise called ‘Castle’, whose last known address is Guava Walk in Unity Hall, St. James. He is wanted for shooting with intent.

Richardo Robinson, otherwise called ‘Travis’ or ‘Charma’, whose last known address is Smithfield district in Cascade, Hanover. He is wanted for wounding with Intent and illegal possession of a firearm.

Nicholas Stephens whose last known addresses are Islington, St Mary and Mount Pellier in Sandy Bay, Hanover. He is wanted for rape. Obrien Thomas, frequents Hanover and Westmoreland. He is wanted for rape. Leon Reckard, otherwise called ‘Brown Dawg’, of Cove district, Hanover. He is wanted for rape.

Michael Thomas, otherwise called ‘Thicka’, of Prosper Road, Lucea, Hanover. He is wanted for wounding with intent and Devon Reckord, otherwise called ‘Tupac’, of Police Hill in Cousins Cove, Hanover. He is wanted for wounding with intent.

These men are asked to turn themselves into the Lucea Police by 5:00 pm, on Wednesday, September 28.

In addition, anyone with information that can assist the police in locating these men is asked to contact the Lucea Police at 876-956-2304 or Crime Stop at 311.

NewsAmericasNow.com