The community of Santa Rosa, in the Moruca sub-district, Region One, will soon begin large-scale citrus cultivation, the Department of Public Information (DPI) reported yesterday.
President Irfaan Ali made the announcement during a community meeting in Karaburi Village yesterday. Residents of Haimaruni, Wallaba, Branch Road, Parakeese, Six Miles, and Santa Rosa were present at this meeting.
“I’ve asked the Minister of Agriculture to help in clearing and preparing those lands. And let us put those 210 acres into large-scale citrus cultivation. We will bring the plants in,” the president told residents, DPI reported.
The ministry will also work with the women of each community to expand honey production, which the government has been strongly advocating for in hinterland communities.
Some 25 hives will be provided to each community, in addition to protective gear.
“Millions of dollars in investment so that you can have 25 hives in every single one of the villages here to produce honey. And we are going to buy the honey off of you,” the president asserted.
Ali said that the government is moving to foster large-scale cultivation of coconut, breadfruit, ginger, and spices in Region One.
Backed by government funding for initial capital costs, the release said residents can now implement these agricultural projects, opening doors to new, profitable opportunities and propelling the region’s agricultural sector forward.
“We want to also examine high-value crops that can be grown here. And we are going to support you by putting the investment in preparing the land, giving you the seeds, giving you the planting material so that we can grow and build a huge agriculture sector in this region,” the president declared.
Additionally, before the end of the week, the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) will return to the region to distribute chemicals to combat the pest issues faced by the residents.
The president highlighted a series of investments in the region that have transformed the lives of residents, which include more than $7 billion injected through the education sector.
“If you look at 2024, under education alone, we are constructing three new nursery schools in this region. We’re going to extend three nursery schools. We’re going to extend the Baramita Primary School,” he said.
The head of state added, “We’re going to rehabilitate the Port Kaituma Primary. Construction of Matthews Ridge Secondary School. That alone is $370 million. And Waramuri Secondary, $128 million. This is a government that cares about all of Guyana”, he said
During his visit to the community, the president also commissioned the Karaburi Village Office and Guest House, as well as the Nursery and Primary School Feeding Programme Kitchen, which were completed with funds from the Low Carbon Development Strategy.
