THREE farming groups in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) were on Wednesday the recipients of farming tools and other inputs, valuing $1.8M, to boost their production.

During a regional outreach at the Mahaica Mahaicony Abary-Agriculture Development Authority, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha handed over the items to representatives from the Cotton Tree Farmers’ Group, the Zee Zight Farmers’ Group, and the Number Nine Farmers’ Group.

The minister said that given Guyana’s leading role in CARICOM, as it relates to agriculture, the government has been making funds available so that farmers could benefit from resources to improve and increase their production.

“Two years ago, during a Heads of Government meeting, our President made a presentation detailing how CARICOM can reduce its food import bill by 25 per cent by the year 2025. In Guyana, since we got back into office, a number of people are looking to get back into agriculture because they see that this government has taken an interest in the sector.

“We know that without agriculture, there is no food security so we are making the funds available to ensure small farmers and farmers’ groups have the necessary resources to develop and increase their production,” Mustapha said.

Melina Vossey, President of the Number Nine farmers’ Group while receiving the items on behalf of the group, thanked the ministry and the government for the donation.

She said: “We made a request last December to the ministry for some tools and assistance. This is the first time we’ve received farming equipment or any form of assistance from any government. I feel so good because our group was established last February.

“I was a part of another group that fell apart so we decided to form another group. These tools will benefit our farmers because they cannot afford to buy some of the tools. Our members are very thankful and we will use it to develop our farms,” she said.

Some of the items handed over include motorised tillers, hoes, cutlasses, forks, shovels, water pumps, grass cutters, seeds, and other chemicals and inputs.