Residents and farmers from Victoria, East Coast Demerara will soon benefit from several agricultural interventions such as the clearing of farmlands and drainage and irrigation (D&I) works, according to the Department of Public Information (DPI).
According to the DPI, Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha made these commitments during a farmers’ meeting in the village yesterday. Mustapha, the DPI statement read, noted that emergency works will be undertaken in the community to desilt the canals while several farmers will be employed to ensure the monthly maintenance of the drainage canals. Additionally, three acres of farmlands will be cleared, allowing farmers to properly access their lands. “We want to help farmers in the community. We want to bring back these communities to their former glory. Agriculture is important to us because it is the production of food”, the agriculture minister stressed.
Mustapha has also committed to providing the community with black giant chickens, along with agriculture implements like tillers and mist blowers to enhance production. “There are a lot of exciting opportunities but we have to be prepared to work. That is why we are coming into the communities to listen to the concerns of the grassroots farmers,” he stated. Over the years, Victoria benefitted from planting materials, an access bridge at Moravian Street, rehabilitation of the farm-to-market access road, breeding bull, black giant chickens, and drainage and irrigation projects, among other interventions.
Meanwhile, like other communities, Victoria too will benefit from other infrastructural projects.
Sixteen streets will also be constructed and rehabilitated in the community by the Ministry of Public Works. These include Benn, Last Cross, Spencer, Cato, Church, Well, Bag rice, and Dublin streets. In attendance at the meeting were the Director General of the Ministry, Madanlall Ramraj, and Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), Dr. Dwight Walrond.
