D&I, deplorable roads, diminishing markets raised by East Bank Berbice residents during Agri. Minister visit

Sep 28, 2020 News

A resident of Edinburgh raising his concern with Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha (right) and the Region Six Chairman David Armogan.

On Saturday the Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha together with his technical team from several agriculture development agencies visited the areas of Plegt Anker, Edinburgh and Lochaber (West Canje) where several issues including drainage and irrigation, deplorable roads and farming issues were raised.
Minister Mustapha at Plegt Anker stated, among the solutions explored, that the plan is to revamp the entire policy of the New Guyana Marketing Cooperation (NGMC). He said that the NGMC must be there to facilitate farmers, help farmers and find markets. He added that “Farmers can supply certain products or produce to Banks DIH, DDL etc… they may want things like passion fruit, guava, pine but our farmers don’t have the capacity and because of that sometimes these things are coming from overseas so we have to work with our farmers and that is why I have Dr. Omnauth here from NAREI and NAREI now will have to play an important role to help farmers to produce, get proper methods because you know sometimes we use primitive methods of doing things. We have to now move from there and do scientific things that will give us benefit. We can’t only look at the short term where you will have some callalu planting and at the end of it you reap couple dollars and you finish. We have to plant things that will take us in the future. That is why the whole agri. sector we will try to change the policies”.
Minister Mustapha noted that over the past five years the agriculture sector has seen a rapid decline and was placed on the back burner while emphasis was placed on the new oil and gas sector. However, he believes that when “those things” have been exhausted, agriculture will remain and it is that regard that agriculture should be developed.
He said that the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) and the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) will be working with farmers to deal with their issues on the ground.
“Gone are the days,” the Minister said, “where we have officers coming in and give side handed attitude and just talk to the farmers…they will have to come and work with you all to help you to develop your sector.”
Some $18.4 B was budgeted for the agriculture sector from the 2020 emergency budget. Minister Mustapha mentioned that that $15.5 M was budgeted for NAREI with one of the many things to be done was the making of shade houses which will be sold at a cost price to farmers instead of the farmers having to buy at the store for a higher price.
“We will put the money in a revolving fund so that this thing can be a continuous process. We will send people to advice farmers how to go into these kinds of production. GLDA will be facilitating farmers who are rearing livestock, officers will come and discuss with you and give you ideas. I know rice has not been planting much up here but we want to also encourage farmers to go into that type of production. Also that you can improve these areas here, East Canje also”, he said.

Plegt Anker resident and farmer Daniel Ward suggested to have water drained from the Canje Creek into the farmlands in their area during dry weather “so we can get fresh water to the farmers”. He stated that while it was raised in the past he is unsure what happened, “this water can go right back to Kortbradt but I didn’t hear anything of it until I hear they send machines to clear that canal and then hearing afterwards that it wasn’t properly done. I am asking if you can use your office to come and get the engineers to look at the situation, there are canals that can be linked to that reservoir and that would ease a lot of the pressure on farmers especially during the dry weather. The problem is good quality water for the plants”.
The minister assured that an engineer will be sent to the area by Tuesday and asked that residents form themselves in groups and work with the engineer.
“Engineers are to come here regularly,” the Minister said, “because people are complaining that we are neglecting the farmers. This area has a history of poor infrastructure. We have to try to develop it and give the farmers the kind of infrastructure so that they can produce”.
He further pledged that he will engage with the Local Government Minister Nigel Dharamlall to have CDIP workers sent in the area to clean the roads shoulders etc. since residents complained about the overgrown vegetation.