Dear Editor,
Please permit the Guyana Agricultural Producers Association (GAPA) to respond to assertions that the Spillweir Farmers Group never receives any assistance from GAPA which appeared in the Stabroek News on Thursday, March 17, 2011.
The GAPA was instrumental in the formation of the Spillweir Farmers Group in Canal # 2. During the initial stage, the group was the beneficiary of planting materials, seeds, chemicals and spray cans. The group was further advised to become a registered farmers’ organization which is a criterion to become a beneficiary of the Rural Enterprise and Agricultural Development Project (READ).
Further, the group was consulted on the preparation of a demonstration plot to be set up within the area in collaboration with the farmers group. This will act a research demonstration plot to conduct trials and experiments to increase their production and productivity.
The guidelines and procedures for managing the farmers’ group were very clear to the members of the Spillweir Farmers Group who were told to conduct monthly meetings to better plan and identify priority areas where support could be channelled to the group by GAPA, the Ministry of Agriculture and its related agencies. To date the group has only held a few monthly meetings and no feedback was given to the GAPA secretariat with identified priority areas for support.
The GAPA secretariat also received reports of segmentation within the Spillweir Farmers Group where the support that was given to the group was not equally distributed among its membership. The GAPA will continue to support to this group provided that the group is willing to work within the stipulated guidelines and regulations.
Yours faithfully,
N S Mangal
National Coordinator
GAPA
