GUYANA has become the first country to benefit from the CARICOM Development Fund (CDF).

The sum of US$7.3M (G$1.5 billion) has been diverted towards agricultural infrastructure development in this country and all of Guyana should be proud for it, Agriculture Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy said.

He offered the comment following the signing, last Saturday, by Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the CDF, Ambassador Lorne McDonnough, of a country assistance programme agreement that will see the funds being made available to Guyana’s agriculture sector.
The deal was inked in the presence of President Donald Ramotar on the fringes of the just concluded annual Heads of Government meeting in Port of Spain, Trinidad.
In the interview since, Minister Ramsammy noted that the CDF was initially discussed when the CARICOM Agriculture Development Plan, which has come to be known as the Jagdeo Initiative, was being put together.
He reiterated that, while other countries will also access resources from the CDF, Guyana’s pride should be because it would inaugurate the disbursement.

Funding comprises    
The funding comprises a reimbursable loan, not exceeding the equivalent of US$4,660,007 and a non-reimbursable grant of no more than US$2,657,989.
The minister related that the money will be used for three major projects, an upgrade of the Parika/Ruby Access Road in Region 3 (West Demerara/Essequibo Islands); upgrading the Onverwagt Road in Region 5(Mahaica/Berbice) and enhancing the condition of the Kuru Kururu/Laluni Access Road in Region 4 (Demerara/Mahaica).
He explained that the Parika/Ruby one will be asphaltic, going from the highway into the Ruby area, where there are some 300 farming families occupying that stretch.
Ramsammy said important produce, such as vegetables, fruits and provisions, are farmed there and he emphasised that the route is critical to transporting those to the market, as well as for export.
“A lot of the products from there are exported as fresh products to the Caribbean. So this has been a major road for us. We have tried to source funding for this road for several years and I am happy, as the Minister of Agriculture, but also as a citizen of this country, to see that one of these access roads will now be built,” he stated.
With regard to Onverwagt, Ramsammy said that road has had several “small level” rehabilitations but that type cannot last for long with the heavy duty vehicles that constantly traverse it.

Much welcomed
Consequently, he pointed out that the major work now possible with the funds acquired from the CDF is much welcomed.
The minister stated, too, that the improvement of the Kuru Kururu/Laluni Road will benefit many small farmers in those communities who, normally, have difficulties transporting their produce.
He said, while those are the significant projects to be undertaken under the programme, other access roads and dams would also be improved.
In addition, Ramsammy indicated he is hopeful that some of the resources can be used, as well, to invest in machinery, such as excavators and tractors, which would be dedicated to maintaining and upgrading dams.
He said the main purpose of these interventions is to, directly, increase the volume and quality of farm output reaching the markets, lowering spoilage quantities and heightening productivity in Guyana’s agricultural sector through providing better weather prone farm access roads to all-weather ones.