Over 28,600 persons from Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine benefitted from the execution of various agricultural ventures through the Hinterland Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture Development (HESAD) Project, last year.
This is according to Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, during a recent press conference.
With the aim of driving agricultural development, Minister Mustapha highlighted, “in 2023, special emphasis was placed on further developing agriculture in Guyana’s hinterland regions, transforming livelihoods at the village level.”
The agriculture further explained, “For 2023, $739,000,000 was budgeted to fund several developmental projects which include infrastructural upgrades; irrigation; livestock, farming and agro-processing development and training exercises on apiculture and climate-smart agriculture.”
In addition, to aiding in the infrastructure development of these communities, the infusion of these monies has generated job opportunities and economic empowerment.
As government continues to ensure that every household is provide with a reliable supply of potable water, 77 black tanks were distributed to households in Bamboo Landing, Western, Sea-Kumaka, and Kursima which are satellite areas in Whitewater Village in the Mabaruma sub-district, Region One.
The village of Kursima also received one boat and an engine through the HESAD project.
Karrau village, in Region Seven, constructed a $5 million food hub aimed at consolidating all the agricultural produce from the community at a central place to provide a ‘ready market’ for the farmers.
This undertaking is made possible through the HESAD-P with funding from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Government of Guyana.
The government continues to execute strategic programmes and policies necessary for the economic development of hinterland communities through financial and other support, based on the requirements of the communities.
In order to provide farmers with more access to resources, markets, equipment, and farming inputs, Guyana has been expanding its interventions in the area of food security and economic growth for the past few years.
