THE ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is urging farmers to boost production and enhance the capacity of Guyana to become a major exporter of food in light of rising food prices.“We have an opportunity to advance our country,” Mr. Ramotar told the Chronicle yesterday, as fuel prices spiked to US$122 per barrel, creating further fears of an upward spiral in food prices.He said while current farmers should seek to improve their production levels, new farmers should emerge and seek to capitalise on the hungry Caribbean market, which might have already seen a food import bill skyrocketing to some $6B.Mr. Ramotar said the government is doing “the best it can” to stave off the effects of further increases, but with more agricultural production, food demands could be comfortably met at home and also eat up a chunk of Caribbean demands.The party has recognised that in a short period, the prices of many staples have shot up, creating difficulties for lower income families.The Government has removed all duties and taxes from diesel fuel, (which is) mainly used in production, while duties on gasolene have also been slashed.Investments are being made in the Guyana Power and Light Company (GPL) to ensure that only heavy fuel oil is used to generate power, thus keeping prices for consumers down.The government is also heavily subsidising Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) to prevent an increase in water tariffs.