COVID-19 brings food challenges for some local farmers, fisherfolk - CARICOM, FAO study

food traders participated. The respondents were reportedly drawn from all ten of the country’s administrative regions of Guyana.

In addition to the various other challenges, the study found that the COVID-19 pandemic in Guyana had resulted in an increase of women’s workload particularly in relation to their domestic chores and care-giving tasks.

Among the various other “key findings” of the study, the DPI release said, were challenges related to “loss on income” by “farmers and fisherfolk,” between May and July compared to the same period last year. Livestock farming respondents, the release added, revealed “production difficulties” which they attributed to access to feed... and processing and retail/market issues.” It adds that fisherfolk and Extension Officers had informed of challenges associated with the marketing of fish resulting from “decreased prices and other concerns and restrictions related to COVID-19.”

Other challenges, according to the release, arose from what it described as “a noticeable decline in employment of daily or seasonal agricultural labourers” as well as in “the number of market traders operating on a regular basis.” It also alluded to a reduction in the hiring of vehicles to transport agricultural produce and livestock.

The study draws attention to the fact that “limited consumer access to markets/shops” arising out of COVID19-related restrictions also posed challenges to the food system, creating a knock-on effect on both consumer access and sales “since (both) producers and consumers were unable to access markets/shops.”

According to the release “the reduction of income, access to markets and other difficulties within the food system varied differently across the ten administrative regions,” while consumers also experienced “limited availability of certain foods.”