Agriculture Minister, Hon. Zulfikar Mustapha, today engaged residents of Siriki, a remote Indigenous village along the Pomeroon River, as part of the two-day Cabinet Outreach being led by His Excellency, President Dr. Irfaan Ali, in Region Two.
During the meeting, residents highlighted a number of issues relating to agriculture, infrastructure, education, transportation, and community development.
Recognizing agriculture as one of the community’s primary economic activities, Minister Mustapha announced a series of measures aimed at expanding production and creating greater economic opportunities for farmers.
He told residents that the ministry will assist farmers who own land in the village with land clearing up to five acres for every farmer wishing to cultivate crops, noting that increasing production remains a priority. He told the farmers that they must provide the engineer with the necessary paperwork to benefit, citing instances where farmers who were occupying lands that were not theirs requested land clearing, but the owners of the lands did not allow it.
Minister Mustapha also told the farmers that planting materials will be provided free of cost through the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI).
Furthermore, extension officers from NAREI, the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), and engineers from the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) will work with the community to assess the number of farmers who need land clearing for agricultural purposes and other forms of agricultural support so that the necessary interventions can begin without delay.
In addition to increasing production, Minister Mustapha emphasized the importance of ensuring that farmers have reliable markets for their produce. He tasked the New Guyana Marketing Corporation (new GMC) to work with farmers to secure market opportunities that will enable them to earn sustainable incomes while reducing post-harvest losses.
Minister Mustapha also announced plans to establish a poultry programme in the community to assist residents with generating additional sources of income. He further committed to providing the community with a poultry plucking machine, allowing producers to process birds more efficiently and improve the marketability of their products.
To assist with improved river access, Minister Mustapha also committed to facilitating the construction of a wharf in the community.
Residents also told the Minister that with the expected severe El Nino conditions that are expected to affect Guyana in the coming weeks, water storage remains a concern. Responding to this, Minister Mustapha committed to supplying each household in the community with a black water storage tank. This, he said, will be delivered to the community within the next two weeks.
