- as gov’t moves to develop 35,000 acres to boost agricultural productivity
On Monday, Agriculture Minister, Hon. Zulfikar Mustapha, along with Minister of Public Service, Government Efficiency, and Implementation, Hon. Zulfikar Ally, met with a group of cane farmers from the Corentyne Coast as part of ongoing government engagement to fully utilize lands to increase productivity.
Minister Mustapha said that the government was working with the cane farmers to develop 35,000 acres to cultivate cane, citrus, and coconuts.
“Last week, President Ali met with a number of cane farmers from the Upper Corentyne area, and he instructed that I, along with other ministers, work with the groups. We have a number of farmers who indicated that they were interested in getting back into cane cultivation, while others said that they wanted to cultivate citrus and coconuts. We’ve already begun to map out the area to do the necessary soil testing. We’ve also engaged the Private Sector to construct a juice plant so that the citrus being planted there can be extracted and processed into juices,” he noted.
While speaking on cane cultivation at Skeldon, Minister Mustapha said that GuySuCo is expected to cultivate approximately 1,000 hectares by the end of November.
“GuySuCo has already started the cultivation of cane in Skeldon. Hopefully, by the end of November, they will be cultivating approximately 1,000 hectares, with the eventual target being 5,000 hectares cultivated by the corporation at Skeldon. Also, with the additional farmers who have between 10,000 to 12,000 acres, cane cultivation will see a turnaround at Skeldon,” he added.
Minister Mustapha also said that, as it relates to infrastructure to support the cultivation of the various crops, a contract was awarded for the construction of an 18-kilometer all-weather road to support the initiative. He also said that the government, through the ministry’s National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), will be establishing the main drainage and irrigation infrastructure.
“Farmers had requested that we upgrade the Moleson Creek road to an all-weather road. The contract was awarded for work to commence on the construction of an 18-kilometer all-weather road. The cost for that is just over $800 million. That is one of the main projects in that area and it is expected to start shortly. From the ministry, we’ll be working with the farmers to develop all of the main drainage canals and other infrastructure to enhance the area,” Minister Mustapha said.
Last Wednesday, H.E. President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali met with a group of cane farmers at the Skeldon Estate, during which the Head of State emphasized the importance of linking state support to results on the ground. He told the farmers that ongoing government investments in infrastructure must be matched by tangible increases in productivity.
During his address, the President laid out an ambitious vision for a multi-crop agricultural model where traditional sugarcane cultivation can co-exist with high-value crops such as citrus. He said this transition would be guided by scientific planning, supported by modern technology, and driven by market needs.
