MINISTER of Agriculture Dr. Leslie Ramsammy met with villagers of Kato, Region 8, during a recent ministerial outreach and discussed how to resolve the issue of distribution of surplus crops produced in keeping with the initiative of growing more agricultural produce. Minister Ramsammy announced that a marketing programme will be developed for the products to be transported and sold outside of Regions 1, 7, 8 and 9 as production far exceeds the consumption level of residents in these regions.
Spices, ginger, turmeric, potatoes and onions are all produced in these regions, and the ministry will move to ensure they are not wasted, Minister Ramsammy said.
He said the cost for products to be transported from the regions and distributed throughout Guyana is significantly more than importation cost for similar items from other countries, and this is attributed to the difficult terrain of the hinterland areas.
Minister Ramsammy said a way will have to be found to harvest these crops in Kato and transport them to the coast at a cheaper cost.     Moreover, income can be generated within Guyana once the products produced here are distributed at a cheaper rate, he said.
This will also boost the development of the villagers and their communities in Regions 1, 7, 8 and 9.