Farmers in Region Five on Saturday received farming implements, chicken and blackbelly sheep, as part of the government’s endless drive to expand agricultural activities countrywide.
Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, led the distribution exercise, along with senior agriculture and regional officials, during a visit to the region.
Member of the Rose Ward Farming Group, June Ann Johnson, said the donation will provide great help to the group members.
“We get the tiller, cutlasses, shovel, spade, and pump…It is supposed to be shared for the farmers in the group…It is very good because right now I’m a widow and I need a lot of equipment to help me out. I don’t have nobody else to help me with my farming,” Johnson stated.
Member of the Novar Farmers’ Group, Haimwant Brijnandan told the Department of Public Information (DPI), that the assistance means a lot for the farming community, since it will accelerate ongoing works.
At Blairmont Village, Ayube Tajmool explained that the farming implements is a timely gift that will help to address some of the difficulties that farmers are experiencing.
Over at Ithaca, Lennox McDonald shared similar sentiments, noting that the new water pump will boost to the farming operation in the village.
Meanwhile, the agriculture minister boasted about the tremendous leaps the food sector has made, citing that agriculture contributed 28 per cent of non-oil gross domestic product (GDP) for the country.
He also noted the growth in the rice, fisheries, and other crops sectors and attributed this to government’s investments and support to farmers.
“And that explains the budgetary allocation we have been making. We are making these available so that people can increase production. We want Guyana to be a food hub,” he said.
Minister Mustapha reassured that as long as the PPP/C Administration continues to be at the helm of the nation, all sectors will continue to strive.
“We want to ensure that we have a robust economy. We want to ensure that all the sectors contribute to the development of our country and that is what a government that has a vision will do,” he emphasised.
