Farmers in Aliki, Essequibo will soon have a market for their plantains as the chips processing factory in Leguan is expected to be operationalised in August.
This announcement was made by Business Minister, Haimraj Rajkumar who was accompanied by Director-General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon, during a community engagement with the Region Three officials, farmers and residents of the island in the Essequibo River.
The chip factory is one of four projects (two chip factories and two call centres) under the $1billion Rural Development Fund, the Department of Public Information (DPI) stated in a release.
Responding specifically to questions raised about an alternative market for their produce – plantains, bananas, eddoes and other ground provision, Rajkumar told the farmers that the factory will be functioning pending the facilitator’s finalisation of the contractual agreement and initiation of production.
“We have a plantain chip factory at Leguan, some of you would have heard of it, it [is] already built, all the equipment is there and we have a facilitator, a person who will open the factory and start the operating… It’s not just plantain chip but there will be plantain flour and other products from ground provision,” the minister disclosed.
Currently, the farmers sell their crops at Parika and other markets along the coast.
In his remarks, Harmon said the government’s plan is to ensure adequate markets are provided for farmers while local produce is utilised to create value-added products for sale countrywide and even further.
According to the DPI, the functioning of this factory in the Essequibo Islands is expected to increase economic opportunities and capabilities of vulnerable groups within the area while creating jobs for those in need.
