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Agri. Minister commits to carrying out needed drainage works at Buxton/Friendship
Kaieteur News – Farmers of the Buxton/Friendship area on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) will soon benefit from much-needed upgrades to the communities’ drainage and irrigation system.
One of the farmers engaging the Minister of Agriculture during the meeting.
This was announced by Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, during a recent visit to the community. Over the past few months, Minister Mustapha has been engaging farmers’ groups from the community in a bid to resuscitate and develop the community’s agriculture sector.
On Tuesday afternoon, Minister Mustapha visited the community and met with farmers from various farmers’ groups to discuss projects needed to improve agriculture in the community.
One farmer who was present at the meeting said that there was need for major improvements to the village’s drainage system. He also said that farmers’ groups should work together so that a more comprehensive approach can be taken when executing works in the community. The farmer also told the Minister that members of the various farmers’ groups have been in discussion with officers from the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) to identify a piece of land that can be used as a demonstration plot so that farmers in the village can be taught how to properly grow and manage the cultivation of crops like ginger, turmeric and other non-traditional crops.
Another farmer said works were done to some extent but were discontinued abruptly in the early parts of 2019, and that since then, maintenance works on the drains have not been carried out.
Minister Mustapha told farmers that there are a host of opportunities available for all scales of farmers, more so, small-scale farmers in Guyana under the PPP/C administration.
“Right now, there are a lot of opportunities that exist in the agriculture sector for small farmers. We are pushing for the production of a lot of crops. Our extension officers are working with farmers to enhance their production and in a smarter way. With climate change taking place, we cannot do agriculture the way we used to. We are also building a number of packaging facilities so that farmers can package their produce and make it more value-added. If we are going to really develop the sector, we cannot work in isolation. We have to involve everyone. If farmers need help, I will work with you,” Minister Mustapha said.
Minister Mustapha also welcomed the suggestion of having all the farmers’ groups in the community work together. “When the groups are consolidated and they come as one body, then stronger representation can be made. I will work along with you to ensure these things that you are requesting get done. We may not be able to do everything at once but we will do works to develop agriculture in the villages. I’m happy that you recognise the importance of developing agriculture and that you are willing to work with the government to develop the sector in your community. I am prepared to work with you and give you the kind of help to get things going. Right now, the most important thing to do is the drainage system in the community,” Minister Mustapha said.
The Minister told residents that the Ministry, through the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), would be working to restore the drainage and irrigation system in the village.
“Our engineer will be coming back tomorrow to do a comprehensive report with all the works that are needed. We will do the sideline trenches and all the drains in the community. Once I have that report, I will give instructions for the works to commence. I am making that commitment. If we have to send in a machine or two to do the work or get a contractor, we will do it,” the Minister stated. He further noted that when the major works are completed, the Ministry would be employing community groups to do the maintenance works.
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