In an effort to expand poultry rearing in the lower Mazaruni district, households within the village of Karrau Creek, Region Seven will receive 25 Black Giant chickens before the end of July.
The large dual-purpose chicken has the ability to produce up to 200 eggs annually and about 4.5 kilogrammes of meat.
Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, M.P, made the announcement today, during a follow- up meeting in the village. He also disclosed his ministry’s plan to establish a shade house in the indigenous community.
The minister led a team of technical officers to the village of River’s View, Karrau Creek, Batavia and Kartabo in the lower Mazaruni Region, where he listened to the concerns of farmers, with the aim of resolving them as soon as possible.
The meetings are a follow-up to one held recently by His Excellency, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, during which several agricultural issues were highlighted.
Minister Mustapha is also looking to conduct an assessment on cassava cultivation in Karrau Creek, and once the production is viable, a cassava milling machine will be delivered to the community.
Additionally, the villages of River’s View, Falmouth and Kartabo will each receive a milling machine to help with the processing of cassava flour. River’s View and Falmouth will each receive a shade house, putting them at a higher advantage to produce healthier crops.
“I promise you that I will be back before the end of July to deliver these things to you myself,” Minister Mustapha assured.
The minister emphasised that the PPP/C Government is not one that tours the country, and makes careless commitments.
He therefore, charged those gathered to positively assess the performance of the administration since taking office in August 2020, noting that when the PPP/C left office in 2014, it passed some $18.4 billion in the National Assembly to advance the food sector.
Upon returning, Minister Mustapha stated that the allocation for the agriculture sector declined to $11.5 billion.
He said major investments are being made to develop ongoing projects.
Meanwhile, technical officers from the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) will return to the various communities to conduct assessments, and the results will determine the next move towards addressing drainage concerns.
Each of the communities visited will also receive free seedlings and Acoushi ant bait as requested.
