Hundreds of farmers in the Matarkai Sub-district, in Region One, on Wednesday received the government’s flood-relief cash grant.
The Department of Public Information (DPI) said Minister of Housing and Water Collin Croal led the distribution exercise, along with Chairman of the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), Orlando Thorne and a team of officers from the Ministry of Agriculture. They distributed a total of $17.3 million to 173 farmers in Sebai and Canal Bank.
Croal, the DPI reported, noted that the initiative is part of the government’s support package for farmers and households that were severely affected by the floods earlier in the year.
The minister explained that the grant is not a compensation, but rather a support mechanism to help persons get back to some degree of normalcy. He therefore urged them to utilise the funds for the purpose intended.
“Please ensure that you get the necessary guidance from the agriculture team. This assistance that is given you today is geared towards helping you to return to the farmland… invest it back wisely because the returns you will get from your investment will go a long way,” he was quoted as saying.
The initiative is one of many measures implemented by the government to bring relief to citizens who have been affected by the floods and COVID-19 pandemic. Among those initiatives are the $25,000 COVID-19 cash grant per household; the COVID-19 village relief grant for hinterland communities; and the one-off cash grant for pensioners.
According to the report, Croal said all initiatives form part of the government’s mandate to secure the livelihoods of its people regardless of their location or background. “It doesn’t matter where you reside, you must benefit from the same services as the people in Georgetown…We have to bridge that gap and create a level playing field.”
Fifty -six-year-old Aubrey Campbell, a father of 14, of Sebai Village, was among the beneficiaries of the distribution exercise.
Campbell, who is involved in subsistence farming of cash crops, said he suffered great losses during the flooding in June this year.
He was thankful for the government’s assistance and said he planned to get back into his farm and venture into cattle rearing. “Thanks to the government for what they have been doing and giving the people a boost,” he told DPI.
Meanwhile, Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha and Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall also led distribution exercises in Matthews Ridge and Port Kaituma, respectively.
