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Organic cocoa farmers set for bumper crop
Aim for full certification
By Samantha Alleyne
Cocoa farmers in the Mabaruma/Hosororo area are now harvesting their second crop of organic cocoa expected to be about 5,000 pounds and look forward to being certified as fully organic in the near future.
The Inter-American Institute for Co-orporation on Agriculture (IICA) representative in Guyana, Winston Gibson told Stabroek News recently that the farmers are now picking and processing the new crop which will be between 4,500 to 5,000 lbs up from the 4,000 lbs they harvested earlier this year. They already have a guaranteed market for the cocoa. The 26 farmers who formed the Mabaruma/Hosororo Organic Cocoa Growers Association sold their first crop to the Prince of Wales, Prince Charles’ Duchy Originals company in Holland, at 65 US cents a pound, 33% more than the existing rate for non-organic cocoa at the time.
Gibson pointed out that although the farmers have a ready market they do not have a fixed price. He said the price is negotiated directly between the association and the company and does not involve IICA. The price of cocoa on the world market has doubled in the past 12 months to around US$5 per kilo because of a disease in West Africa that destroys cocoa plant pods. Recent unrest in the Ivory Coast has also pushed prices up.
On March 27, 2002 the association, which was established two years ago following Prince Charles’ visit to Guyana, received certification from the Dutch certifying body, Skal.
Gibson said that the certificate given to the association does not say that it produces organic cocoa but it is in transition to full organic crop status.
He said that in January of last year when an inspector from Skal visited Guyana and inspected the farms it was found that twenty-four farms were classified as `in organic transition’ while seven new farms were classified as `under evaluation to organic conversion.’
He said on that occasion the inspector had advised the farmers on what they needed to do to make the crop fully organic.
According to Gibson changes relate to how the cocoa is stored and shipped.
A Peruvian inspector with Skal was in the country last week on a three-day visit and is to submit a report to Gibson on his findings.
“We hope to get a positive report...,” Gibson said stating that they were more concerned with the seven new farms still under evaluation. According to Gibson they feel that the project has substantially achieved its objective and as of now they will be approaching the British for further funding.
The same day the association received the certificate, a cheque was presented for US$36,000 which represented the first instalment of the second’s year financial support for organic farming in Guyana by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID). The money was handed over to the then IICA representative, Dr Alexis Gardella.
The cocoa exported to Holland by the association would be used to make chocolate for Prince Charles’ company. The formation of the association and the actual preparation of the cocoa for export was largely facilitated by 50,000 pounds sterling provided by DFID.
Since the establishment of the association, the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) has established an organic cocoa demonstration farm in the area.
NARI hopes to produce about 15,000 cocoa plants for the Mabaruma/Hosororo area this year in a bid to expand production.
A Survey of Internet Cafes
Guyana goes online
By Johann Earle
The Internet Cafe is a fairly new phenomenon in Guyana making its appearance only a few years ago. But very quickly it has become as important as the most traditional of community services.
Stabroek News did a survey of a few cafes in and around Georgetown.
Central Netsurf on the Avenue of the Republic offers to the public web browsing, email checking, word processing, scanning and printing of documents. However, this cafe does not offer Internet phone calls.
Internet connection at this cafe is 56k dial-up and twelve computer terminals are available for customer use. Over 50 persons visit this cafe on a daily basis, which is open from 8 am to 8 pm, Monday to Saturday. Browsing costs $200 per hour from 8 am to 10 am and $300 per hour thereafter. The cafe’s computers are equipped with timing software which prompts the user when his or her time is up. No computer classes are offered at this cafe.
City Internet Cafe at the corner of Robb and Hinck Streets offers web browsing and email checking for $300 per hour. CD copying, Internet shopping, word processing and printing of documents are offered. Internet connection at City Internet Cafe is wireless, which generally means faster speeds. Thirteen computers are available. This cafe does not have computer classes.
Mathave’s Internet Cafe on Regent Street above C & F Meat Centre offers email checking and browsing for $300. Scanning of documents and photographs is also done.
This cafe does not burn CDs nor does it offer classes. No timing software is used to monitor customers online. Customers can make VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) overseas calls. About 120 persons access the cafe daily according to management.
Mathave’s opens from 8 am to 11 pm weekdays and on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 am to 11 pm. Millennium Networks on Sheriff and Craig Streets is run by the management of Mathave’s Wireless cafe and has seven terminals.
E-hangout on South Road was opened one year ago and is an Internet Service Provider in addition to it being a cafe. It offers browsing, email, research and CD burning. It does not offer scanning or phone calls. Access to the internet is provided through 56K dial-up connection for which customers pay $200 per hour to browse. Timing software is installed for customer monitoring. This cafe opens from 9 am to 5.30 pm Monday to Friday but can accommodate only two customers at a time.
As an Internet Service Provider, E-Hangout offers 56K connections to mostly private residences for which there is no registration fee.
The recently opened Cyber City Cafe, next door to Central High School in Smyth Street, is connected with 56K dial up internet access.
This cafe has fifteen 1.1 Gigahertz terminals equipped with timing software and it receives about six visitors per hour. Cyber City offers CD burning, limited overseas calls, document printing and scanning, and foundation computer courses.
Software on systems includes Windows XP Professional and Windows 2000 Professional, Microsoft Word and Corel Photoshop etc. This cafe opens from 8 am to 10 pm Mondays to Saturdays and 2 pm to 10 pm on Sundays, allowing customers to browse for $200 per hour.
Power Surf Internet Cafe in Mohamed’s Enterprise building on Lombard Street has seven terminals and offers scanner and webcam services as well as printing services.
The browsing price at this cafe is $300 per hour or part thereof. Power Surf does not have timing software to monitor customers online. There is no CD burning or computer classes. About 15 persons per hour use this cafe’s services.
Metro Business Centre at the University of Guyana Turkeyen Campus has 13 systems with 56K dial-up connection. Apart from internet services, this cafe and business centre offers printing, scanning and CD burning.
There is software for photo-editing and word processing available. The computers are equipped with 566 Mgz processors and Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000, Windows 98 operating systems. This cafe does not offer phone calls nor does it offer classes. The price to browse at this cafe is $300 per hour and $150 for half an hour.
Atlantic Netsurf, which was opened about one year ago, on UG Road has 18 terminals for customer use each with a speed of 800 Mhz and using 56K dial-up connection. The price to browse is $300 per hour and there is monitoring software installed on the computers. This allows customers to leave off and access unused minutes at a later time.
This cafe also does CD burning, scanning, printing of documents, typing services, photocopying and binding. Overseas phone calls are offered but on a small scale. The computers are equipped with Windows XP Professional. In addition, the cafe sells music CDs and DVD movies.
Opened in 2001 Uniscan on Church and Carmichael Streets offers wireless connections at speeds of 100bps.
This cafe has 10 terminals and offers a 15% discount to students and senior citizens (age 60 and above). About 60 persons per day visit the cafe to use the computers. Uniscan offers scanning, printing, photocopying, CD burning and online shopping. Opening hours are from 8 am to 8 pm.
The price to browse is $400 per hour and time cards are used to monitor a customer’s session online.
Uniscan also has day, evening and weekend computer. Persons can train to become a Microsoft Office User Specialist (MOUS).
Super Graphics Internet Cafe on Alexander Street, Kitty has been open for over two years. This cafe offers internet browsing for a fee of $400 per hour using 56K dial-up connection. It has accommodations for six persons at any one time and is open from 6 am to midnight every day. Super Graphics also offers internet phone calls, fax services and printing of documents.
The Net Library, one of Guyana’s first internet cafes, is located on Regent Street. At its founding in 1998, it was located above the Georgetown Reading and Research Centre on Church Streets.
This cafe has fifteen terminals, inclusive of three private booths, for browsing, chat and email. It also does scanning, printing, binding, photocopying, typing and CD burning.
The Net Library has both wireless and dial-up connections and opens from 7 am to 10 pm Monday to Saturday and from 12 midday to 10 pm.
Classes are offered for Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, Powerpoint. Soon to be offered are classes in DacEasy and Peachtree accounting software. Browsing at this cafe costs $300 per hour. Webcam services are soon to be introduced.
Guyana Training Agency
A new approach to training takes hold
By Johann Earle
Since its launch in March last year, the Guyana Training Agency (GTA) has worked with a number of companies and agencies, including embassies and high commissions, on various technical and vocational study programmes, using what it terms as ‘Competency Based Training’ approach.
This approach has gained currency internationally and has for some time been used in Canada, Japan, The Netherlands and South Africa and more recently in Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and St. Lucia. The GTA focuses mainly on on-the-job training to enhance skills already possessed by the employee. The training given is geared so that the employee quickly attains competence in a particular task but to an internationally recognised standard. This could be as simple as making a particular piece of furniture or learning a new welding technique.
Time-based targets, which are required for traditional training, are not a factor for success - persons learn at their own pace.
The Agency is consistently collaborating with training providers in an effort to find common solutions to training in Guyana and to establish working relationships with these providers. The GTA will be shortly convening a symposium to address a national approach to training.
The GTA has 34 partners and supporters covering almost all sectors of business and industry. The Agency views its membership base as critical in the partnership to building workplace competence. A series of guest lectures on the benefits of Competency Based Training to employers will be part of the Agency’s upcoming activities.
GTA modules can be custom-built to suit the training needs of any agency or organisation, based on the findings of a training needs analysis, which the GTA recommends and performs.
The GTA is geared to be responsive to the needs of any sector of the economy. Some of these potential sectors are:
1. Manufacturing
2. Engineering and Construction
3. Information Technology
4. Agriculture
5. Mining and Quarrying
6. Tourism and Hospitality
As the need is determined, the Guyana Training Agency is able to organise the relevant training for beginners or those with experience.
The Guyana Training Agency came to being after the Government of Guyana and the Private Sector Commission approached the European Commission (EC) to assist with the upgrading of private and public companies. The EC provided funding worth 1.8M Euros. GTA’s Project Co-ordinator, Dr. Volker Paul, had said at the Agency’s launching that the Guyana Government had recognised that for national production to increase, leading to job creation and poverty reduction, it was imperative that the private sector continued to develop dynamically.
Through the Guyana Volunteer Consultancy (GVC), the GTA has been able to execute a series of Training of Trainers programmes. One such programme was done with the Adult Education Association (AEA). An AEA’s Project Co-ordinator said it was the best such programme he had gone through and that the persons who lectured on capacity building did a very good job. He made the point that the tutors were able to use local situations to bring points across. “You had to demonstrate that you are competent. You had to do a task analysis and assess training needs,” he said.
Some of the other entities partly financed by the GVC for training of trainers are: Global Technology, The Business School, St. Mark’s Craft and Cooking, and Denise’s Institute of Catering.
The GTA can organise lectures for either one company or a group of smaller companies, once sufficient demand exists for a particular set of skills. If this is the case, then the agency can prepare a cluster of modules. Training can be done on site if the company is large enough. Instructors will first be sought locally, then regionally, then from the European Union. Other training institutions will be approached for use of their facilities with compensation, the GTA said.
The Guyana Training Agency is to host the third phase in a series of regional workshops to examine the Competency Based Training approach and to highlight Guyana’s efforts in using that approach. Delegates from ten Caricom member states are expected to be at the workshop. Several training sessions will be conducted to further enhance Guyana’s pool of instructors. The participants will be drawn from several sectors of the business community.
In March, the GTA will launch its services in Berbice and will continue to encourage companies in that county to take advantage of its Training Needs Analysis, so that their current and future skills requirements can be determined.
During the coming months, the GTA will also offer several courses in the sectors of Business Services, Electro-Technology, Engineering, Automotive, Building and Construction, and the Extractive Industries, such as mining.
The GTA is presently lobbying the government and the private sector on the passage of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) bill in Parliament and the establishment of the TVET Council.