…looking especially at farmers’ needs
SCORES of residents from the Parika/Naamryck/ Ruby communities, on the East Bank of Essequibo, were yesterday given the opportunity to air their concerns during a community meeting in the area with Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy and Housing and Water Minister, Irfaan Ali. Accompanying the ministers were teams of technical officers from both ministries, who were there to offer guidance and to interact with the community members as they discussed their problems.
Minister Ali, in his opening remarks, explained that the meeting was convened to address issues pertaining to the advancement of the community, particularly as it relates to the needs of the farmers.
He announced that, as was promised, there have been several solar water pumps installed in various sections of the Ruby /Naamryck area, which, he explained, are quite functional.
As to additional plans to increase access to water, he said, “The aim is to install two more photovoltic systems; while those that are installed function at the school level, we want one in Ruby to function at the community level. We also need to set up elevated storage tanks and have stand pipes installed as we build capacity to improve the system.”
Additionally, he pointed out that greater emphasis will be placed on community planning and development, as part of the new approach taken by his ministry, in an effort to ensure that overall improvement is undertaken in a “holistic way”.
This, he said, will require greater collaboration among the various ministries as the administration seeks to address the variety of issues that exist.
As an example of this collaboration, Ali noted that the implementation of the Integrated Water Resource Management System will require representatives from the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) to work closely with the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI).
“This is so because all water resources will be managed through the system; the only way to proceed in the future is if we have sustainable use of the fresh water resources,” he said.
Minister Ali assured the gathering that the newly appointed Agriculture Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy “will do an excellent job to ensure that agriculture is continued to give the importance it has always received from the PPP/C.”
He acknowledged that the condition of the access roads in the community also remains a highly priority concern, and announced that the Minister of Transport and Hydraulics, Robeson Benn, will be addressing this issue in a timely manner.
Addressing the community for the first time as Agriculture Minister, Ramsammy reaffirmed his commitment to addressing the needs of all citizens, and to assisting the farming community, since, according to him, “agriculture is the lifeblood of the economic development of the people.”
He announced that he and a technical team from the ministry will be visiting the community on a regular basis to intensify interactions with the agriculture community.
As to the importance of this, Ramsammy said, “We all must recognize that this area represents an important focal area for the development of agriculture in Guyana; there can be no Minister of Agriculture worth his or her salt who would not spend time with the people of the community.”
And so he encouraged the residents to work with the team from the Agriculture Ministry, which included Chief Executive Officer, National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), Lionel Wordsworth; Director of the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), Dr. Oudho Homenauth; and other engineers, to resolve existing issues.
“Development will take time, as there is a limit to the resources available; the ministry will try to resolve the issues, in collaboration with community members. I commit to working with you to make sure your lives get better, agriculture gets better and therefore our country gets better,” Minister Ramsammy declared.
With the formalities over, the interactive session began, and many grasped the chance to air their concerns to both ministers of the government.
For most, the pressing issue was that of the condition of the Naamryck ‘farm to access road’ as well as the Ruby access road, which they explained was in a deplorable state and in need of urgent repairs.
In response, Minister Ali assured that swift  action will be taken to address this issue, and that materials  will be  provided immediately to the residents, to be dispatched though the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) to initiate repairs.
Alluding to the reasons for the delay in repairing the road, he said, “This is one of the main agriculture areas in the country; the Ruby community members raised the issue of the condition of the road. I spoke to Minister Benn and he made it clear that resources were allocated for the road but they were having problems with the contractor. Benn said within another week there will be an evaluation of the contract, and if there is still an existing problem, then they will have to find a new contractor.”
Other concerns included access to proper drainage and irrigation, and the availability of a steady flow of water through the pipelines in the community.
In addition, several farmers complained about the conditions affecting their crops in the area.
Both ministers once again assured those gathered that, with the collaborative efforts of the ministry officials and the community members, their pressing concerns will be an area of priority, as the administration seeks to ensure that there is equitable development across all communities in Guyana.
Representatives from the Housing and Water and Agriculture Ministries will return to the area at intervals to continue to work with the farmers and residents.