The Rural Agricultural Infrastructure Development (RAID) project is taking root in Ithaca, West Berbice.
The Department of Public Information (DPI) yesterday reported that Finance Minister, Winston Jordan and Agriculture Minister, Noel Holder spearheaded a visit to farmlands in Ithaca where infrastructure works are being done.
Since 2018, 150 acres of fertile lands in the Ithaca area, have seen infrastructural improvements to facilitate the farmers of the Ithaca Co-operative society. DPI said that this initiative followed the identification of farming areas in Mocha, Buxton, Triumph and Ithaca, for assistance from the RAID project.
Jordan said that of the four areas identified for interventions under the project, Ithaca in Region Five had experienced many challenges nevertheless, farmers and residents interested in farming can now access these lands. As an incentive, farmers received seedlings for crops.
“Ithaca was a bit more challenging, and so I paid quite a bit of attention to it to ensure that we are where we are today and I am happy that significant progress has been made to the extent where we could be handing over seedlings and coconut and so on,” Jordan said.
With this jumpstart, Jordan said that the Ministry of Agriculture, through the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute and other agencies, will ensure farmers are provided with the requisite planting and farming materials.
“There are crops that are planted and will give a return in 18 months, some three years, some five years, and in between, there will be intercropping with in-demand crops like turmeric, ginger and so forth, so it’s a work in progress. There is rice on the other side then there is cattle and so forth”, he said.
Cash crop farmer, Rolleaux Reddock, who has been farming for more than 15 years, says the RAID project means a lot to farmers in the area.
DPI said that Jordan and Holder interacted with the Ithaca farmers who expressed some concerns which, when addressed, will improve the project.
