SEVERAL infrastructural projects focused on improving drainage and irrigation and improving food production have commenced in Baracara, Region Six (East Berbice- Corentyne), as part of a wider focus on boosting agricultural production there.

Chairman of Community Development Council (CDC), Marshall Thompson, during a recent interview with the Guyana Chronicle, shared that works have commenced to clear some 150 acres of land in the community.

According to Thompson, the new lands will be used to adopt new sustainable agriculture practices.

“… we used to cut down and burn, now the government (is) clearing an area of 150 acres for us and impoldering it so that we can farm in a new way. So even in the rainy season or the dry season we can still farm,” Thompson said.

This intervention has been welcomed since the riverine community was hit by severe flooding last year. Since then, farmers and fisherfolk are still struggling to recover from the disaster that had destroyed their livelihoods and upturned their lives.

In fact, Thompson said many have not been able to quite get back on their feet. He explained that it has been particularly hard for residents since they depend solely on agriculture and logging for an income.

“Last year [the flood] was extreme… I’ve never seen that excessive amount of water. Some of our fruit trees die out, 80 per cent of our animals die out (and) all of our farms drowned,” he said adding that it was the worst flood in about 42 years.

Thompson also emphasised that the fisherfolk in the community felt the “squeeze”.

“From then to now, we are still getting excessive rainfall but we are still working. We are improving on catches of fish but our farming is down because we are still not getting the weather pattern.”

To improve this, much-needed works have also commenced for the digging of several canals in the community.

At a recent meeting with farmers in the community, Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, said once the works were completed the Agriculture Ministry will work along with the community to craft two strategic plans for livestock and cash-crop production.

These strategic plans, Mustapha said, will adopt sustainable practices in food production, as well as in agro-processing.

“We have to change that kind of mechanism and that kind of thinking that we are just doing cash-crop farming, and as soon as we reap it from the farm we take it to the market. “What we have been doing, we have been building these agro-processing facilities so that we can add value to our produce,” Mustapha said.

He added, “Rather than take the produce to the market we will package it and send it overseas; we will have for consumption here, but we will also get more money for you.”

In order for this to happen, the community must first decide which crops could be produced on a large scale. The community is known for its production in citrus, plantains, potatoes, eddoes and corn.

A team of technical officers from the National Agricultural Research and Extension institute (NAREI) will return to the community to conduct assessments and soil testing.

The minister also committed to providing the necessary inputs to the community to boost livestock production. Breeding bulls, boars and rams will be provided to the community. Additionally, a team from the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) will also return to conduct assessments and craft its strategic plan.