He said that in the lead up to the current dry weather conditions, equipment at farming areas across the country have not been utilised to an operable capacity through the absence of the annual rainy weather conditions.
He was at the time addressing farmers and relevant stakeholders on the impact of El Niño on non-traditional cash crop farms, where he announced plans for the placement of a market tarmac on a plot of land between the Princess Hotel and the National Stadium at Providence, East Bank Demerara as the ministry works towards placing more emphasis on the marketing of local produce.
At a forum organised by the Guyana Agriculture Producers Association (GAPA) at the Guyana School of Agriculture auditorium at Mon Repos on the East Coast of Demerara, Persaud stated that the land will be developed for a market facility, noting that the Ministry of Finance is looking into the valuation and advertisement of the land in the area for this purpose. He stated that the necessary procedures have to be followed, in order to bring transparency to the process.
When the floor was opened to the farmers yesterday, they raised several concerns which were addressed by the agriculture officials attending the forum including Persaud.
One farmer, from the East Bank Demerara questioned whether the authorities have put systems in place “for when the rains return,” stating that “in Guyana we have many inadequate drainage structures.”
Chief Executive Officer of the National Drainage and Irrigation authority (NDIA) Lionel Wordsworth stated that the Agriculture Minister has concurred with him on several occasions on having all systems to deal with weather conditions when El Niño ceases.
Most of the farmers at yesterday’s forum expressed concern about the effects of the current dry weather conditions on their individual farmlands and Persaud called on the farmers not to “get annoyed, don’t get angry,” stating that the MoA is open to suggestions so that the main issues could be dealt with. He announced at yesterday’s forum that some $1 million will be provided to the GAPA in order to purchase sprinklers for the cash crop farmers. He stated that an arrangement will be made with the importers of the product and in return the farmers will have to reimburse the GAPA on a long term basis, in order to keep the funding of the product in check.
The Agriculture Minister, while addressing the forum yesterday called on farmers to get registered with the MoA so that they can benefit from the programmes made available by the agency to assist them. He said the main objective of being registered for this initiative hinges on the authorities being able to forecast and regularise its system “to know that farmers exist and where they are based.” He added that the relevant infrastructure has already been put in place to this effect.
Persaud said that now stakeholders can use technology to develop the sector and he referred to the government’s plan to land a fibre optic cable here through neighbouring Brazil, which he said would significantly assist this venture. He said the government has debated the venture and has already allocated resources for the project and he called on the more than 60 farmers at yesterday’s forum not to be sceptical as regards the use of technology and new farming techniques.
He also stated that a lot of emphasis has been placed on training at the GSA, not only for students attending the institution but also for the farmers. He urged the farmers not to shy away from the demonstration of new technology. He said that the authorities have been partnering with other nations such as China, Brazil, the United States and Israel. He stated that these nations who have “perfected agriculture,” noting that the Israelis have developed the use of irrigation in agriculture. “We have to embrace other technologies in order to overcome challenges,” he noted.
Equipment, including water pumps and drainage pipes, were handed over to farmers at the conclusion of yesterday’s forum to assist the farming areas during the El Niño conditions, and according to Persaud the equipment will be returned to the Agriculture Ministry at the end of the dry weather phenomenon to be kept for use in future dry weather conditions.
