Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, M.P., on Saturday met with farmers on the East Bank of Berbice, where he addressed their many issues.
During the outreach, farmers from Maratraite and surrounding communities gathered at the community’s centre ground to express their grievances. These include the need for new dams and more infrastructural development.
Minister Mustapha assured residents that the commitments made by His Excellency, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, for infrastructural upgrades are underway.
“When we make promises and commitments, we are taking it very seriously and ensure that we follow up on those. Sometimes it might not happen as you want it, or as fast as possible, because there are a number of requests around the country and we are looking to divert resources evenly across the country.”
At Plegt Anker, the agriculture minister met with farmers and residents and pledged government’s assistance towards improved drainage and irrigation.
“We will do a number of canals and we have started it. We have started a programme in this area where we have awarded contracts to private contractors and our engineers have been checking with them. And I have asked them to also involve the residents of the area so at the end of it everyone will be satisfied and it will benefit the entire community.”
Meanwhile, farmers of Highbury lauded the ministry’s efforts to improve agricultural development and to sustain livelihoods. While Guyana is earning significant income from its oil resources, government has maintained that agriculture must continue to hold its own. To ensure that this status quo is maintained, the agriculture ministry is implementing a series of initiatives in the various agriculture pillars to provide the necessary resources to drive the sector forward.
