IN responding to the immediate needs of farmers in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, on Thursday, announced that the ministry will be providing 25 black giant birds to each household in Karrau Creek Village.

The minister made this announcement during an engagement with farmers, who met recently with President Dr. Irfaan Ali.
Farmers at the meeting informed Minister Mustapha that they need better drainage systems for their farmlands, extension services, management of wild animals, materials for shade houses, as well as access to funding, farming tools, planting materials, and technical support to expand their cultivation.

As an immediate intervention, Minister Mustapha told the farmers that the ministry through the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), will provide 25 black giant birds to each household by July month end.
He also said that the Agriculture Ministry will assist the community with setting up a shade house, and will provide inputs and Acoushi ant bait free of charge.

A team comprising officers from the GLDA, the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), and the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) is scheduled to return to the community within a week to conduct an assessment.

Minister Mustapha said he is also committed to ensuring farmers benefit from improved extension services, including monthly visits by extension officers from the GLDA and NAREI.

Some $2.6 billion in agriculture-related projects are ongoing across nine of the 10 administration regions, the biggest of which is the $569 million dredging of the Pomeroon River mouth which is going to open up 8,000 acres of land for rice and cash crop farmers and residents.
Those projects form part of the overall works catered for in the $22 billion budget set aside for the Ministry of Agriculture.