WHILE challenging villagers to capitalise on the many opportunities available to them, Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe, assured residents, particularly farmers in Moruca sub-district village, that the government will continue to invest heavily in agriculture production.

Kwebanna, which is known for its Agriculture exploits, will soon be operating a cassava flour processing facility with the aim of supplying local, regional and international markets.

According to the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, some 30 farmers are currently cultivating thirty acres of cassava to supply the factory.
Minister Garrido-Lowe told residents, “the farmers in this world are the most important people because they give us the subsistence, they (farmers) are the richest people in the world and that is what the people of Kwebanna is going to be. We intend to make money out of our farming now, not five dollars here and there, we are putting those days behind us.”

Kwebanna recently hosted a mini cassava festival which saw the farmers’ group along with the Hand-in-Hand Women’s Group with support from catering facilitator in the ministry, Margret Cornette, producing appetising indigenous foods from the cassava. According to Minister Garrido-Lowe, it “exceeded expectations.”

She said, “all this delicious tasting food is just an introduction to show the people how we can use the cassava flour and who better to show them than you. You will produce the flour and you will show them how to use it, and we are going to have a national cassava festival when that building {cassava factory} opens. So let us be big, and your government will respect that and continue to invest in you.”

Minister Garrido-Lowe urged the residents not allow anyone to stymie progress in the area. “Do not let anybody stop progress, they had twenty three years to give you anything they wanted to give you, twenty three years to give you roads, Internet, a cassava factory, and they did not, so when they [are] coming now and say we will give you roads, we will give you this, we will give you that or this was our idea, do not believe them. We are here for only four years and we did it,” she said.

Minister Garrido-Lowe assured that free education, improved infrastructure, communication, health, empowering of women, children and youth will be realised. This, the ministry noted, will be the realisation of another promise of a “Good Life” delivered by President David Granger.

Kwebanna, which has a growing population, is on the cusp of realising real development, and according to the minister, much more will be realised from Guyana’s oil revenues.
Meanwhile, the minister also took the opportunity to share in the spirit of the festive season by putting smiles on the faces of scores of children who attended the days’ activity when she presented them with gifts.

They were overjoyed and thanked the minister for her kind gesture. She also wished the families present a joyous Christmas and a prosperous New Year.