Dear Editor,
Please allow me to thank the Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder and his team for visiting Region 5 on Thursday January 12. The outreach saw meetings at Little Biaboo, Mahaica Creek; Strath Campell, Mahaicony; and Fort Wellington, West Coast Berbice. Farmers were given the opportunity to face the Minister and vent their concerns, be those land rates, D&I, cattle rearing, cash crops, etc. The Minister and team addressed the farmers and also advised as to the way forward towards developing agriculture in Region 5.
The meeting was well attended and everyone was given the opportunity to voice what was important to them or where they wanted to see improvement. Some farmers voiced their opinion on the increase in the land rent at MMA\ADA.
At the meeting in Little Biaboo the farmers said nothing about the increase in the land rent, and they pledged to do some self-help work in the area. Some even offered to purchase their own tubes to put across the dams for better drainage. This tells me that the farmers have farming at heart no matter what.
But I was very much surprised by the behaviour of the Rice Producers Association (RPA) head. Mr Seeraj turned up after the meeting was finished, as the Minister and his team were about to leave. He was sharing placards with various anti-government slogans. It is a shame to see an MP trying to derail the road to development in the agriculture sector, or any sector. No other RPA reps were there to listen to the farmers. I call on the RPA to do something more active and genuinely represent the farmers. They should stop playing politics with the lives of the farmers.
I hope that in 2017 we will see more of such visits by the Minister of Agriculture, and not only from him and teams from his ministry but from all the government ministries and agencies.
Yours faithfully,
Abel Seetaram
APNU+AFC
Regional Councillor
Region 5
