MINISTER within the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Alli Baksh said farmers, especially women of Dartmouth Village on the Essequibo Coast, are making conscious efforts to plant red beans to sustain and maintain their families. Addressing scores of planters in the Evergreen / Paradise Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) Office at Dartmouth yesterday, he said the Agriculture Ministry wants to expand cultivation in other crops and he has already met with farmers in different areas across the country to push the non-traditional cultivation.
Baksh also pointed out that Government has constructed a $37M all-weather roadway from Dartmouth Village to the backlands to assist with the quick transport of produce to markets.
Those who interacted with the minister raised several issues, including drainage and maintenance of the all weather farm to market roads, as some of the problems affecting them.
However, Baksh addressed the drainage problem and instructed that all blocked wooden kokers be cleared from the drainage trench, with the cooperation of farmers, so as to allow the free flow of water.
The minister, accompanied by Regional Vice-Chairman, Mr. Vishnu Samaroo; Chairman of the Evergreen/Paradise NDC, Mr. Cornel Damon; Engineer of the Regional D&I Department, Mr. Permansingh and Extension Officers of the Guyana Rice Development Board, Agriculture and Livestock Department and farmers visited the all-weather road and drainage trench that was blocked by the wooden koker.
After  inspection of the kokers in the backlands, Minister Baksh said an excavator  will be sent into the area to clear the drainage trench.
He also challenged farmers to protect the all-weather road from heavy vehicles.
The farmers, who were happy to have the former Regional Chairman in the field at Dartmouth to find solutions to their problems on the ground, thanked Baksh for his concerns and visit.
They pledged to fully cultivate some 200 acres with red peas to push the national grow more food drive.