- under agri. ministry’s IDB-funded SADP Project
On Friday, twenty-nine (29) small and medium-scale farmers from Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) received inputs to boost their production totaling approximately $2 million.
This was made possible through funding from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) under Component Two of the Ministry of Agriculture’s Sustainable Agriculture Development Program (SADP).
Under Component 2 of the SADP Project funding was allocated for the strengthening of the ministry’s extension system. This included training of both staff and farmers and the establishment of research and demonstration plots. To assist with the adoption of the new technology promoted by the ministry, a grant incentive program(non-cash) was also designed to support small and medium farmers.
While offering remarks at the exercise, Minister Mustapha said while CARICOM is looking to Guyana to play the leading role as it pertains to agriculture and food production, the government has been working to ensure farmers are equipped to improve and increase production.
“Countries in the Caribbean are looking to Guyana to play that leading role as it relates to agricultural development. As a government, we have to ensure our farmers are equipped with the necessary tools and equipment so that they can produce. Our farmers are very important because they are the ones who will drive the sector. This is why we are making these contributions so that you have the necessary inputs to boost production. Our goal is to ensure Guyana becomes a hub for food production and a country capable of producing most if not all of the crops and commodities we import in CARICOM. This is why we’ve been expending large sums of money to develop both our traditional and non-traditional sectors,” he explained.
Minister Mustapha noted too that the inputs will be distributed equally within the farming communities.
“Thousands of other farmers will benefit from these things. Our officers were out working to engage those farmers who are most in need of these inputs to take their operations to the next level. This is to ensure we get maximum use of these items,” the minister added
Some of the items that were handed over today included small land tillers, water pumps, pasture fence materials, shadehouse, milking machines, weeding machines, and mist blowers to name a few.
Last July, farmers from Region Four benefited from the initiative, receiving some $3.3 million worth of inputs.
