Windsor Forest farmers to receive much-needed assistance
Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, addressing farmers of Windsor Forest, West Bank Demerara during a meeting on Tuesday
Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, addressing farmers of Windsor Forest, West Bank Demerara during a meeting on Tuesday

FARMERS of Windsor Forest, West Coast Demerara will soon benefit from improved drainage and irrigation and a number of agricultural projects following a meeting with Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, on Tuesday.
During the meeting, farmers raised a number of issues, most of which Minister Mustapha committed to having addressed within the coming week.
Krishna Mathura told the minister that the roads in the area have been in a deplorable state for quite some time and both residents and farmers are faced with a daily struggle of having to traverse on the “terrible” roads.

“The road is really terrible, from the line top when you driving. I drove my car and it was in one foot of water; you don’t even want to look at the road,” the farmer said before adding: “It’s so bad, like how are these people going to bring out their paddy?”
Over time, Mathura said the conditions of the roads have forced him to give up his career as a rice farmer. “I used to plant rice but because of this situation with the water and the dam and the millers, I had to leave,” he explained.
Meanwhile, another farmer, who gave his name as “Hemchan”, told the minister and those gathered at the meeting that the koker in the area is also in a deplorable state.

The man noted that the authorities in the region had begun some temporary works on it. However, he believes that the contractor who was hired to do the work is doing a “shabby” job.
Farmers also raised concerns of poor drainage and irrigation services along with the deplorable state of the dams in the village.
In response to the concerns that were made, Minister Mustapha told the farmers that a team from the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) will return to the region with the necessary machinery to clear the dams in the farming community.

The minister also reassured the farmers and residents that rehabilitation works will be carried out to repair the all-weather roads in the area. He further informed farmers that the ministry’s extension officers will soon form a group in the region to address their concerns.
“Very shortly, every extension officer will have a group of farmers, so that every week or every month they have to report to the Ministry of Agriculture what kind of service they are offering to you the farmers,” he said.
“Too long, we have had free riders in the Ministry of Agriculture…our extensions officers will have to be more responsive to the needs,” he added.
He also disclosed that the ministry will restore the Rice Producer Association (RPA) and Guyana Agriculture Producers Association (GAPA) to strengthen the partnership between farmers and the ministry.

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