MINISTER within the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Ali Baksh has challenged Pomeroon farmers to produce more, in order to meet the growing demands of the export market. In an interactive session with them, on the New Guyana Marketing Centre Wharf, at Charity, Essequibo Coast, on Monday, he said government has secured markets internationally for produce and production will have to be increased to continuously supply them.
Baksh said government is pushing the ‘Grow More Food’ campaign and has spent a lot of money to boost agriculture cultivation in the Pomeroon area.
He said, too, that government is opening up new lands for other crops farming in the Siriki and Warapana areas, Upper Pomeroon River.
Baksh said 200 ten-acre plots are, currently, being allocated to individual farmers in the fertile Siriki area while, at Warapana, another 100 of the same size will be distributed.
However, he warned that persons who are given land to farm will have to put it under cultivation within six months or it would be repossessed and handed over to others who are interested in cultivating crops.
Baksh declared that land grabbing will not be tolerated. Guyana.
He also encouraged diversification to plant crops that are in constant demand on both local and international markets, citing coconuts as one with very good prices.

ALSO FETCHING
Baksh said dry and water coconuts are in demand on the international market and coffee is also fetching good prices.
He also discussed the possibility of exporting produce from Charity by air and suggested an airstrip be built there.
Baksh said produce can be exported directly to the Caribbean from an airstrip at Charity because it has a Customs Office.
According to him, the matter of direct exportation from Charity was raised at a recent Cabinet meeting and the proposal would be examined.
The minister also suggested youths get involved in agriculture but the older farmers reported that Pomeroon is currently facing a labour shortage because most young men have gone into the gold fields.
The farmers requested that a packaging plant be set up at Charity.