An access road from Crabwood Creek to Kwakwani to be built this year under the supervision of the Agriculture Ministry’s Agriculture Sector Development Unit (ASDU) is expected to open up lands for large-scale production.

Farmers in both villages cultivate crops such as cassava, pineapple, avocado, plantain, bananas and citrus. Agriculture is a main source of their livelihoods.

Speaking recently with farmers at villages of Siparuta and Orealla, Region Six, Agriculture Minister, Noel Holder said attention will be given to subsistence farming across the regions.
“Basically, the plan is to take farming in villages such as this from subsistence farming to

the next level of exporting agricultural commodities out of the region. This will stimulate the development of Region Six and Guyana as a whole. A plan of this nature is already being undertaken in Region Eight,” Holder said.

Additionally, several persons in Orealla have already benefited from the Guyana Livestock Development Authority’s (GLDA) Hinterland Development Black Giant Programme, which seeks to make the hinterland regions less reliant on the Coastland for their food supplies.
Farmers, who have benefited from this programme, commended the authority for the progress made with the project in the village thus far, indicating that their animals are doing extremely well.

They also requested the assistance of the ministry in providing more chicks to other persons in the community who have expressed interest in getting involved in the programme.

GLDA’s Chief Executive Officer, Nigel Cumberbatch told residents that the authority is prepared to assist with the expansion of poultry rearing in the village.

“GLDA is willing to assist you with building your stock and also with the construction of a special hatch but we would need to know how many animals are needed. You can also recommend someone to undergo training at the Guyana School of Agriculture for two years to assist persons who are involved in agriculture,” Cumberbatch said.

Extension officers from the GLDA and the National Agriculture Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) are expected to conduct quarterly training exercises in areas of poultry rearing, crop cultivation and agro-processing in the community.
Minister Holder was accompanied by George Jervis, Chief Technical Officer, Ministry of

Agriculture; Nigel Cumberbatch, CEO, Guyana Livestock Development Authority; Dave Hicks, CEO (ag), National Drainage and Irrigation Authority; Denzil Roberts, Chief Fisheries Officer; Ida Sealey-Adams, General Manager, Guyana Marketing Corporation; and Alvin Prabudial, Crop Extension Assistant, NAREI.