HUMAN Services Minister Jennifer Webster has reiterated government’s support for the East Coast Mangrove Reserve Women Producers (MRWP) Co-operative, which is combining to market their agricultural products through the Mangrove Centre at Cove and John. Speaking at the opening of a workshop at the Centre to create a business plan for the group, Webster spoke to the wide cross-section of society that was represented by participants from Buxton to Berbice, who generate agricultural products in the mangrove-forested coastal communities.
According to a press release from Chairperson of the Guyana Mangrove Restoration Project, Annette Arjoon-Martins, the development of a business plan for the MRWP is being fully sponsored by Digicel. The telecoms giants had earlier provided valuable support for MRWP’s alternative livelihood initiative by underwriting the cost of the inaugural Farmers’ Market last October.
A consequence of that event was the birth of the Mangrove Reserve Women Producers group, two months later, the release said.
It said the MRWP’s products are on sale at Cove and John at the Mangrove Centre which is housed in the Guyana Women’s Leadership Institute (GWLI). This component is part of the Guyana Mangrove Restoration Project (GMRP) which is being funded by the EU and the Government of Guyana.
Since its opening in July 2011, the release noted, more than 4,500 students have visited the Centre, and it draws over 200 visitors per month for the 3-hour tour of the Mangrove Reserve seawall site.
According to the release, Webster noted that in addition to promoting mangrove conservation, the mangrove producers’ initiative was also building bridges between communities. An example of this is the Litchfield Group, which already possesses a processing facility, deciding to twin with the Trafalgar/Union Group, as they had a 25-acre farm which could produce the relevant crops for the various agri-products.
The minister lauded the achievements of the agri-producers on their varied line of products, and commended them for winning the Caribbean Tourism Organisation’s prestigious Biodiversity Conservation Award for 2012.
According to the release, the space occupied by the Mangrove Reserve Visitor Centre at Cove and John was made possible initially through the support of the Ministry of Social Services, in the time of Minister Priya Manickchand, through the provision of the Cove and John site during the early stage of the Guyana Mangrove Restoration Project.
In her remarks at the workshop, Webster signalled her continued support, and further committed to having the women producers displaying their products at public events being staged by her ministry.