– Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha

By Nafeeza Yahya-Sakur

REGION Six farmers have been assured that extension services in the region will improve to cater for their needs when Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, and team met with residents of Tain, Fyrish and Number 19 Village, East Berbice, Corentyne on Saturday.

Former Vice-Chairman, Region Six, Dennis Deoroop, has been assigned the position as agricultural coordinator within the region and will be responsible for ensuring all agencies under the ministry and extension officers address issues faced by farmers.

“I have tasked them to ensure that their work is more proactive, they will be more responsive to the needs of the farmers. I have employed an agricultural coordinator in Region Six, who will coordinate all aspects of this activity, be it the rice sector, the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), all those persons will have to ensure they meet with the farmers, visit the backdam, listen to their problems and they advise accordingly,” Agriculture Minister told the residents.

The minister also noted that oftentimes, farmers are at their wits ends when faced with issues with no proper advice but noted that this will be at thing of the past.

“Many times farmers are faced with issues and are not in receipt of proper advice. They don’t get the kind of extension service that the Ministry of Agriculture provides; that will improve now. That will change; we will have these officers to be more responsive to the needs of the farmers,” he said.

Meanwhile, issued such a lack of proper drainage and irrigation, water, deplorable streets, the need for recreational facilities, the need for affordable livestock and poultry for farmers were among issues raised.

Andura Forde, a resident of Fyrish and the chairman of Gibraltar Fyrish Farmers Association called on the ministry to provide resources to help develop the farming community of Fyrish/Gibraltar. Forde has an existing project with NAREI to cultivate cauliflower and broccoli.

To this end, the minister committed to ensure that the group continues its work with NAREI and at the same time will look at expansion for other value-added produce such as ginger, turmeric and corn.

The minister also announced that very soon the ministry will launch a new rice variety which will to bring better yield for farmers. Farmers can expect about 55-60 bags per acre with the new variety as opposed to 30-35 bags per acre. In addition to higher production, the variety also has a good resistance to pest and disease.

“By next week, we want to launch this new variety so we can make it available to our farmers so they can get better yield per acre. So the next crop will be better yield and more production.”

Meanwhile, the NDIA was also tasked to resolve the drainage concerns within the communities that were highlighted by residents. The minister also reiterated his ministry’s commitment to support, improve and develop the fishery sector and agriculture in general.

“We will continue to develop agriculture. Agriculture has the potential to eradicate poverty and I am very optimistic that we can eradicate poverty if we develop this sector. As we have started already in the sugar industry. We will create jobs once more for those persons who lost their jobs in the past three years. They will once again be gainfully employed by 2021-2022; these factories will come into order. As long we can get those on track, the entire country can be happy and we can eradicate poverty and develop our country where everyone will benefit. The burdens they are experiencing will be eased and we can make Guyana one of the best country in the Caribbean,” the minister said.