AGRICULTURE Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, met with representatives of several farming groups and residents of Coomacka and other neighbouring communities, who appealed to him for assistance with their current farming operations. The meeting held at the Coomacka playground, attracted a number of residents and farmers, who used the opportunity to raise a number of issues with the subject minister and the visiting team of officials from the ministry. Paul McFarlane, representative of one of the farmers’ groups from the village, said that the area had great agricultural potential but more technical support and equipment were needed. “I really appreciate these interventions. We all know that these things are long overdue. Nothing has been done here, in terms of agriculture, for a long time. I can see there’s a lot of potential for agriculture in these parts. While we may not have enough arable land to do crops, we still do some amount of crops but we can also do a lot of livestock. We can do aquaculture. We live alongside the river. Eighty to ninety per cent of us live alongside the river. I think there’s great potential for aquaculture in these parts but some things are lacking. We need the technical support. We don’t see or we hardly see the crops extension officers. We do see GLDA officers but we really need the technical support. We also need the relevant tools and equipment. I don’t know when last the farmers’ group from the mines received any tools. We also need a boat and an engine because most of the lands available are across the river and we need access to those lands,” McFarlane said. He also said that farmers’ groups were not benefitting from tools sent to develop small scale agriculture in the region. Minister Mustapha, in responding to those requests said that the ministry will be rolling out a programme shortly.
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“I was just having a discussion with our officers. We’ll soon have a programme to work with small farmers. Tools like tillers and other things that you need for your land, investment in the livestock industry and poultry industry; we’ll work along with the farmers. I’ve also asked the Permanent Secretary to trace back, from our ministry, to see how much equipment we’ve given to Linden over the years. If individuals have those equipment, we’ll take it back and give it to the groups. We will commence an audit of all the equipment that came to Region 10 so that we can ensure the farmers’ groups benefit from them,” Minister Mustapha said.
The subject minister also assured the farmers that extension officers will be more responsive and that he had instructed the relevant agency head to ensure officers visit the farms in the community at least once a month and provide him with a report.

Ronald Narine, a farmer from Nottinghamshire, expressed his dissatisfaction with the execution of some works carried out in the area.
“I’ve been living in Nottinghamshire for over 25 years. The area that I’m living in is in a pond. I have a bill of quantities here that says Nottinghamshire: clean and excavate in depth eight feet, 6250 feet, $625,000 to clean because this is the road trench in front people house wuh got title fuh they land. It has been neglected for the past couple years; the drainage structure. We have another drain; manual cleaning and excavate that drain, 1800 feet; $100 a foot; $180,000. I have seen this money paying for the past six or seven years and the works are nothing compared to this paper that I have in my hand. The people who doing the work don’t know nothing and it become a payday for the CDC (Community Development Council) people. Minister I don’t know if you have anybody that knows the account of this contract but today, this thing bruk up,” Narine said.
Minister Mustapha said that groups contracted to execute developmental works in the communities will now be held accountable when works are not executed according to the project specification.