The road leading to Parika Backdam, the main access road, is expected to be transformed soon into an all-weather road, once all goes well, according to Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud.
He pointed this out at a meeting yesterday with residents, particularly farmers, at the Parika Back, East Bank Essequibo.
Through the Ministry of Public Works, a $13.2M contract was awarded and rehabilitation of the roads started yesterday.
However, Persaud said more permanent works on the five kilometer stretch of road are to be facilitated under the Agriculture Sector Support Programme (ASSP).
“The ASSP is a $385M programme that address rehabilitation of D&I (Drainage and Irrigation) and access infrastructure,” he said.
The Agriculture Minster noted that for the year there were some savings and so the Ministry is exploring the possibility of doing more for farmers.
This undertaking, he said, is in recognition of the importance of access for farmers.
Persaud, in making this commitment, noted that the residents have a civic duty to ensure that assets are properly managed.
“With the farmers support, we have to ensure that what we have is managed properly, to prevent future challenges,” he said.
Persaud said too often works are done and six months later the sight is one of disrepair because of neglect.
He told the residents that if they want the infrastructure and the farming enterprise, the area’s main economic activity, to succeed, they have to ensure some amount of monitoring is some.
“We want you to take ownership of these projects,” he said.
Persaud said at the end of the day monitoring and supervision is key, since the Guyanese people and development partners must be satisfied with the quality of work being done.
He stressed that the farmers must be involved in identifying problems and bringing it to the attention of the relevant authorities.
Even as the Agriculture Minister spoke of advancement, he made it clear that the sector is faced with several challenges, primary of which is climate change.
He noted that the sector has to adapt and government is seeking to mobilize resources for this adaptation through the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).
“You can’t fix climate change so we have to adapt,” Persaud said. “This is what our extension officers are doing with their assistance and advice, preparing you to adapt to climate change.”
The Agriculture Minister noted that things have to be done differently and pointed to the value added chain.
“We have to compete on an international market,” he said, “Ultimately value added will be the saviour of the sector.”
The value added chain is finding a market for every component of produce.
For example, with rice, the final product is polished rice, but within that process there are by-products – bran, hux, broken and rejects. Rather than throwing these away, the broken rice can be used for livestock and similarly other uses can be found for the others.
With pepper, for example, when there is not a market, the value added chain concept can be used and pepper sauce can be marketed instead.
The Agriculture Minister pointed out that Guyana is vulnerable to price movements and there are no guarantees of a preferential market.
He added that farmers, in consideration of these factors, have to change their production cycles, not all produce peppers and then there is limited market; rather rotate their production.
Farmers were urged to be aware of their markets and he stressed that new systems of planning have to be developed.
Persaud said, “The government is making the investment…the role of the government is to facilitate and provide support.”

Commitments

The Agriculture Minister was in the area early in June this year during a Cabinet Outreach, where several concerns were raised.
Primary of those was the main access road which the Agriculture Minister updated the residents on.
According to him, works on bridges and drainage and irrigation were done to the tune of $300M; the regional authorities addressed works on some other roads; excavation works, as requested, are almost complete; talks are ongoing with the Lands and Surveys Commission to address requests for more lands; and a contract is to be awarded at the end of the month for the construction of a block at the Hydronie Market which will be dedicated to farmers.
A sore issue was the area’s Water Users Association, which residents claimed was not fulfilling its mandate and was also not transparent in its operations and handling of membership funds.
Persaud said an inquiry will be done, and if necessary, the Association will be disbanded, a move that was welcomed by the residents.
New concerns raised this time around included works needed on the Ruby access road; water supply to cash crop farmers; pest control; and rehabilitation of other bridges, which the Agriculture Minister said his Ministry will try to facilitate.
Also present at the meeting was Director of the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI), Dr. Oudho Homenauth, General Manager of the New Guyana Marketing Corporation, and Regional Chairman of Region Three (Essequibo Islands) Mr. Julius Faerber.
A similar session was held Sunday at Windsor Forest, West Coast Demerara.