-to benefit from Government’s initiatives and programmes
GOVERNMENT’S commitment towards ensuring the viability of the agriculture sector continues with tangible interventions, as huge investments are being made to further boost production.
Over the years, Government has been working assiduously with farmers to ensure that they are fully equipped with the necessary skills to enhance production and productivity to take advantage of the growing regional and international markets. Towards this objective, Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud, accompanied by technical officers within the mnistry, yesterday interacted with farmers of Timehri, East Bank Demerara and its surroundings.
The highly interactive session at the National Agricultural and Extension Institute (NAREI), an extension station at Timehri, saw the input of scores of farmers who had an opportunity to have constraints currently being faced in the industry addressed.
Minister Persaud, while pointing to the fact that agriculture plays a lead role in the country’s development, said that the objective of the meeting was not only to encourage production, but also to tap into available market opportunities.
“Globally, there is a food shortage, and prices are going up every day; and even our exports here are increasing, and as such we need to constantly organise our farmers. We have an agriculture diversification project which is not only about planting, but about doing things in a way that they can be sustainable,” he added.
Citing the need for farmers to be more actively involved, the minister encouraged farmers to form clusters, if they are to benefit from government’s support, such as the newly established credit facility through the Institute of Private Enterprise Development (IPED).
He noted that if the region is to seriously deal with food security, there must be strong support for regional agricultural initiatives to further facilitate increased self-reliance in addressing challenges and ensuring suitable development.
“Forming clusters is also important, since no farmer can do it alone. So we want to bring farmers together, ensuing that they work with larger farmers, so that we can do things more viable in the long term,” he said.
To ensure more options to farmers, the administration has implemented packaging facilities at integral points across the country, including, the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. Farmers were encouraged to become engaged in strategic interventions to benefit the industry, not only on a day to day basis but, in the long term.
The National Budget in 2011 allocated a 22 percent increase for agriculture- $9.1B compared to $8B for last year. Of the sum, $1.5B is being spent on agricultural diversification with the aim of building the capacity of small farmers and encouraging them to get more involved in diversification and livestock farming.
“We have already started a credit facility for farmers’ groups and to date, we are looking to establish another one for larger farmers who are part of the clusters. So these are just some of the initiatives we are embarking on to support you,” he added.
Among the issues raised were more access to lands for small farmers at Alliance; lease land owners not occupying land; the Lands and Survey Commission not handling matters professionally; rehabilitation of access roads; substandard work by contractors; non-functional koker attendants; acoushi ants infestation; and post-harvest training for farmers.
Minister Persaud, in response to the issue of roads rehabilitation said that there is a continuing roads programme currently ongoing by the Public Works Ministry which will see 450 community roads rehabilitated and constructed this year.
The management of koker attendants was also brought to the fore as residents and farmers complained about the complacent attitude of attendants, resulting in flooding and loss of produce.
“We have had a perennial problem whereby attendants don’t open on time or when they feel like. We have written to the Minister of Local Government and raised the issue to the Regional Democratic Councils, but it seems that in Region Four koker attendants are special cases,” the minister said.
Secure drainage is an essential ingredient in ensuring that favourable development takes place and the administration has been working to ensure that this is maintained.
This year, major focus is also being placed on improving drainage and irrigation countywide, enhancing the competitiveness of the various sectors and improving productivity. To this end, emergency drainage works will be done in critical farming areas. (GINA)