-reiterates that road works to be major focus
Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud has encouraged farmers at Black Bush Polder to closely monitor road works; the first project to be undertaken under a $600M rehabilitation programme for the entire area.
According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release, Persaud told residents on Wednesday that as the immediate beneficiaries they needed to monitor the works to ensure that they are being done according to specifications.
The minister made these comments during a farmers’ meeting at Yakusari east to update villagers about scheduled maintenance works. “In recent years, I don’t think the communities of Black Bush Polder can complain and even suggest they have not been getting the type of visits and attention; and whilst we recognise that much remains to be done, I think we can count and even point to many areas of improvements,” Persaud said.
The minister also encouraged farmers to make suggestions to the Public Works Ministry on developing a fundamental programme for road maintenance. “I know from time to time the region has been utilising its resources to do patching etc, but the fact remains that the contract has been signed and the contractor will commence mobilisation shortly. It is Government’s commitment to ensure that agriculture is promoted in Guyana and that all farmers are satisfied,” he said.
According to Persaud, although the project does not fall directly under his ministry’s purview residents should capitalise on the services provided by the regional coordinators/officials as they are the first link to the ministry, as regard addressing critical issues. He affirmed that this service was put in place to give farmers the assistance needed to boost production by employing the best technologies.
“We just don’t want you to produce more but we want you to be modern farmers and that is why we are training you in all aspects; from production to post-harvesting because we don’t want you to be disadvantaged in one way or the other,” Persaud told the meeting. He also said the resources allocated to the area will allow for a comprehensive rehabilitation of control structures, bridges and access dams.
The minister also noted that it was necessary to create a new outlet as the current system cannot adequately drain the water from the backlands after heavy rainfall. “We are also looking at what we can do in terms of supporting the cattle farmers. Some of you would have heard, that we are looking at adapting an agreement with areas that were held beyond the cocorite savannah areas,” he said. According to Persaud the programme will entail developing areas as communal pastures which will reduce conflict regarding land use among cattle, rice and cash crop farmers.
The land was originally intended to transport cane to the Skeldon Factory but it had been determined that it would be better suited for cattle rearing which is currently in demand. GINA said the minister was accompanied by technical officials, Regional Chairman Zulfikar Mustapha, General Manager at the Guyana Rice Development Board Jagnarine Singh, CEO at the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority Lionel Wordsworth, CEO at the Guyana Water Incorporated Yuri Chandisingh and representatives of the Water Users Association and the Guyana Agricultural Producers Association.