- as gov’t moves to make community more productive
While engaging villagers from Kalcoon and other surrounding villages in Cuyuni-Mazaruni (Region Seven), Agriculture Minister, Hon. Zulfikar Mustapha, disclosed that a number of interventions will be implemented in the coming weeks to develop agriculture and boost production in the area.
Minister Mustapha and other Cabinet Ministers are currently in the region participating in a two-day ministerial outreach being led by H.E. President Dr. Irfaan Ali, in keeping with the government’s efforts to get firsthand information from citizens and deliver critical services to hinterland communities.
During the engagement, Minister Mustapha outlined a series of interventions aimed at ensuring hinterland communities become more productive and self-sufficient
“We want every community to become more productive and self-sufficient. The government is making significant investments to ensure that our hinterland communities have the resources, technical support, and infrastructure necessary to develop agriculture on a commercial scale. Agriculture must become a vehicle for economic growth and improved livelihoods in every region of our country,” Minister Mustapha said.
To support crop cultivation, Minister Mustapha announced that planting materials would be provided free of cost, while officers from the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) will work closely with villagers to develop cultivation plans for the area. He also committed to providing fertilizer, ant bait, agricultural tools such as tillers and wheelbarrows, as well as agro-chemicals free to farmers.
Additionally, Minister Mustapha told farmers that extension officers from NAREI will conduct soil testing in the community to determine the most suitable crops for cultivation and will construct a community shade house to support year-round production.
The Minister also disclosed that the Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Board (PTCCB) will review the list of chemicals currently being used in the area with the aim of identifying safer and less toxic alternatives for farmers. Recognizing the community’s interest in aquaculture, Minister Mustapha directed the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) to facilitate the development of a community fish farm for the rearing of Tambaqui, providing residents with another income-generating opportunity. Furthermore, the NDIA will also assist farmers with land clearing up to five acres per farmer, in addition to the construction of a bridge across the creek to improve access to agricultural lands.
Each household in the village will also benefit from 20 Black Giant birds to assist with poultry production.
