The University of Guyana’s Institute of Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (UGIRIE) recently hosted a much anticipated two-day Indigenous Guyanese Flours Symposium, Exhibition and Demonstration at the UG’s Education Lecture Theatre, Turkeyen Campus, Georgetown, Guyana, from October 10 – 11, 2023.
The event, which is the first of its kind, was held under the theme: “Utilisation of Indigenous Flours for Food Security and Sustainable Development in Guyana” saw the attendance of several key players, including small businesses, government and members of civil society.
The symposium served as a unique platform for meaningful interaction amongst scientists from Guyana, other CARICOM nations and universities in the United States of America working on tropical root and tuber crops (sweet potato, cassava, and yams) as well as rice, plantain, breadfruit, coconut and other crops.
The organisers of the Symposium noted that the event was ideal as it provided a platform where next-generation scientists, academia, policymakers, partners, emerging and current farmers, private entrepreneurs, funding agencies of research and development, Agro-processers and consumers working on tropical root and tuber crops met, discussed and shared current research outputs, decided on next steps and made wide-ranging decisions on the position of tropical roots, tubers and other flours.
In officially declaring the symposium open on Tuesday, October 10, 2023, University of Guyana’s Vice-Chancellor, XI, Prof. Paloma Mohamed Martin expressed profound appreciation to Prof. Pat Francis and her team for successfully coordinating, collaborating and executing the very first Indigenous Guyanese Flours Symposium in Guyana.
The Vice-Chancellor stated that the work of UGIRIE is extremely important to everyone along the value chain, including pure and applied scientists, communities, farmers, and policymakers.
The VC further noted that UG is currently collaborating with Grenada, St. Vincent and Grenades and Dominica to work on resiliency in the area of spices. The VC said: “UG has a developing complex array of Institutes… that are working on the ground with not only our staff but with you – the scientists, bakers, farmers, media personnel, and policymakers to build resilience in food security.”
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Ms Delma Nedd noted that the Government of Guyana has been establishing several agri-business incubators and providing product development training for products based on plantain, sweet potatoes, cassava, coconut, banana, and rice flours. “These flours are highly nutritious and rich in carbohydrates, fibre, vitamins, and minerals, making them an ideal choice for healthy and nutritious food,” the Permanent Secretary detailed.
In relation to food security in Guyana and the Region, the Permanent Secretary noted: “Guyana must put measures in place to promote derisking the agriculture sector to withstand the risks that threaten the sustainability and productivity of the agricultural sector…relevant, innovative and technological tools must be introduced to assess food systems, to manage and identify risks so that we can manage the food system and increase our resilience.”
Executive Director of UGIRIE, Prof. Pat Francis noted the importance of the symposium and acknowledged the tremendous efforts by the University and its partners in ensuring the event was highly successful. She said: “After successful trials, the UGIRIE is confident to present to the public its results. That is, wheaten flour may be replaced with 25% of sweet potato and cassava flours.”
Prof. Francis indicated that much research and fieldwork have been done on the production of sweet potatoes, cassava and rice flours over the past several years. “For us to improve our bread prices we have to increase our productivity…I was told we can get up to forty thousand pounds per acre; at the moment we are only getting approximately four thousand pounds, so the ongoing work is intended to propel us to that level,” Prof. Francis explained.
Prof. Francis expressed thanks to Banks DIH Ltd. for facilitating the University of Guyana to use their facilities for baking various breads. She also acknowledged the contribution of the University’s partners and supporters – the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Guyana Rice Development Board (GBRD), Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA), Caribbean Agriculture Research and Development Institute (CARDI), National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), Small Business Bureau, Guyana Marketing Corporation, Kuru Kuru Cooperative College, Carnegie School of Home Economics, and the University of Guyana’s Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, the College of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, South Carolina University and the University of Arkansas (UAPB), Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Health.
For more information on the University of Guyana Institute of Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (UGIRIE), kindly visit its Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100070624879484 or email Director.irie@uog.edu.gy.
To view the full recording (Day # 1), kindly click here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1QhUSjwlln9UQlw5KNOt2WN1mw-mxbZZf
To view the full recording (Day # 2), kindly click here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zWcR6XqI1UW2KqOHlzSe2FE86ycEweHV/view? usp=sharing
UG IN BRIEF
The University of Guyana, now in its 60th year, was founded in October 1963. “UG” as it is fondly referred to offers 160 plus programmes in over 60 disciplines in online, face-to-face or blended formats. UG delivers in a Guyana-based system across eight campuses. It is the largest, oldest, most advanced and only state University in Guyana with a student population of over 10,000.
“UG” has provided education, training and research for over 50,000 alumni over its 60-year history. UG’s national and global impact and footprint are significant. Its graduates have risen to populate the commanding heights of national, regional and international organisations of repute in over 150 different disciplines. The mission of the University is to discover, generate, disseminate and apply knowledge of the highest standard for the service of the community, the nation, and all mankind within an atmosphere of academic freedom, innovation and universal respect.
UG’s forward-thinking Blueprint 2040 is currently setting the course for the University’s future design and institutional response to the changing needs of Guyana, the region and the world. UG is currently celebrating its 60th anniversary and is stepping up its focus on becoming one of the leading and most sought-after educational institutions in the world for both staff and students.
