Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha yesterday announced to farmers in Region Six that he is currently discussing the possibility of insuring farmers’ crops as his ministry continues to work to transform the agriculture sector.
Crop insurance has been spoken of for years but without success.
Mustapha yesterday had three meetings with farmers and residents at Kortberaadt Village, East Bank Berbice, Auchlyne Village, Corentyne, and Albion, Corentyne.
At the three locations, Mustapha told the farmers that crop insurance is being discussed with insurance companies. “This is the first time in the history of the Caribbean that we have started it.”
He said, that they have been a part of discussions with GraceKenndy – a Caribbean insurance company along with local insurance companies as a major move to have farmers’ crops insured. “So that if they lose they can have reimbursement, these are things we are putting in place.”
According to the Minister, the government is working to ensure that the agriculture sector remains resilient and can provide food security to the country and the Caribbean region stressing that the vision is for Guyana to become a “food hub” which means further developing infrastructure.
Food hub
Mustapha explained that they already have funding for a food hub with Brazil’s Northern State of Roraima with a MOU expected to be signed soon. “We will be signing an MOU where that food hub will be used between Guyana and the State of Roraima and we will do food distribution across the Caribbean.”
Additionally, before the end of the year, thirteen agro-processing facilities will be completed throughout Guyana as efforts continue to develop the agro-processing sectors.
He pointed out that over the last three years, the budgetary allocation of the agriculture sector has increased by 150% showing the government’s interest in ensuring that the sector remains strong.
“We want to make the sector more resilient… Although you are doing other activities we want people to go back to the notion of producing some of the food they are consuming…”
While stressing that they have been improving and modernizing the infrastructure which will cater for large-scale farmers and investors, he said, that they are also working along with individual small-scale farmers to ensure that every aspect benefits and is developed.
“As it stands now we are expanding the traditional area that we have been cultivating over the years, traditional crops things like rice, cash crop fruits and vegetables, the sugar, those are traditional areas, that we have been doing over the centuries… Now we want to go into new forms of production and we want to do new things.”
Mustapha said, that if new forms of production are embarked on then the way in which agriculture is done locally has to be changed. “Agriculture in Guyana is based on a labour intensity system, where you depend on labour only so if you is one person and you want to do agriculture then you have to hire some people to help you, we want to change that, we want to do it in a smarter way, we want to do it in a smarter way and a more modern way.”
Adverting to the devastating floods in 2021, Mustapha said that it is important the sector is made to be more resilient. Stressing to the farmers that “climate change is real”, Mustapha said rainfall and disasters must be catered for. “We have to control the irrigation in our crops, we have to control the nutrient that we give to our crops, these are the smarter way of doing things.”
Additionally, the Minister stressed that farmers are also being prepared and educated through workshops that are being done across the country to instill the necessary skills “not to become an agronomist but to get the basic skills so that you can also grow your own crops.”
Touching on the $61 B supplementary funding which was this week passed in Parliament, Mustapha told the farmers that the agriculture sector will receive $6 B which will be used to build several pastures for the benefit of the livestock industry.
Pastures will be built in regions 5, 4, 3, 2, and 10. “We have purchased from Texas sixty-three high breed animals, bulls, that we are working with farmers… We want to develop the breed that we have in our country.”
Further, this year three milk parlours will be built across Guyana. “These things are options and a lot of opportunities coming to our farmers so we have to work together.”
Additionally, in terms of small ruminants, Mustapha said that they have already received 850 black belly sheep from Barbados with 150 more expected in a month’s time after which the programne will be rolled out. “We have a number of farmers, we will work together, so we will create a brand in this part of the hemisphere.”
In the rice industry, Mustapha said in terms of yield production has moved from 5.9 tonnes per hectare to 6.2 tonnes stressing that they are looking to work along with an institute in Brazil to increase the yield to possibly 6.9.
Meanwhile, the farmers within the PlegtAnker/Kortberaadt Neighbourhood Democratic Council which saw a major turnout at the recent local government elections said that they are looking forward for the NDC to play a major role in developing their communities.
Cattle farmer, James Chisholm, 35, of Light Town Village, East Bank Berbice, said that there is a major need to maintain the drains within the area along with several residents being in need of electricity. Chisholm, a father of seven said, “I get them youths and me glad to buy a TV and so for them.”
As he sat milking his cow, Chisholm said that he is in need of a pasture for his animal. “Me get me own private land but it ain’t clean”, he noted.
He also called for a community ground to be developed within the area for the children.
According to Chisholm, this was the first time he has voted at a local government election, “I think the NDC can help we develop this place. Right now me ain’t get transport for my land and me glad to get my transport cause me self can help develop up too but me can’t invest in my land and open jobs and so if me ain’t get transport.”
The cattle farmer stressed, that there is a need for the lands to be surveyed. “Right now me can’t even get to develop my own yard.”
A farmer, Budhram Tombran, who has resided in PlegtAnker for over seventeen years now, explained that residents need the local authority to work for their betterment.
The man stressed that they are in need of a better main access road and potable water. “We would take the water over the light… Let the water run in the roadside and everybody will be happy.”
According to him, the lifestyle is a simple one that includes mostly farming and mining stocks.
He called for more government outreaches to be carried out in PlegtAnker. “Come in man and sit with us and talk and hear what we need… Or send in good people”, the man noted.
Violet Laloo, another resident of Light Town Village, East Bank Berbice, called for electricity as she said that her children are young and are in need of same. “We need light, sometimes you want sit outside here and you can’t come out you so frighten you can’t come out your house.”
Additionally, she said, that the NDC needs to ensure that the drains are properly maintained.
Meanwhile, several other residents called for more persons to be hired to work within the part-time programme and asked that more outreaches be carried out within the area.
At the East Bank Berbice meeting yesterday, Mustapha announced that canals will be cleared in Highbury as requested by the farmers. He also assisted with several other issues on the spot, while at the Albion location equipment was handed over to sixty persons to assist them with farming.
