DURING one of his outreaches on Saturday, Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, along with representatives from the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) and the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), met with farmers and residents of the Mahaicony River in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) to listen to and discuss their issues and challenges.

Minister Mustapha revealed in an interview with the Sunday Chronicle that he spoke with over 200 farmers from the Mahaicony River, who explained that the main issue that they are faced with is irrigation. According to the minister, the salt water in some areas of the creek is currently posing a problem for the farmers.

“Let me first say that I am very pleased with the discussions that I have with the farmers and the people of the Mahaicony River. My team and I met with and spoke with over 200 farmers earlier today (Saturday); we discussed their key issues of concern and challenges that they are having in their community, and we were able to immediately resolve their problems, which they were happy about,” Minister Mustapha explained.

He continued, “The main concern of these farmers was irrigation, and they are also faced with the issue of salt water in some parts of the creek as well. I am happy to say that I have put mechanisms in place to deal with these issues, and I am ensuring that the relevant personnel are preparing several pumps to be immediately sent in here. We need our farmers to have fresh water so that their cash crops and their rice will not be affected.”

Additionally, the Minister of Agriculture said that while several farmers on the coastland are cultivating on a large-scale basis, farmers from places such as the Mahaicony River are also playing an integral role in the agriculture sector.

According to him, “Our agricultural sector has been booming, and we have to thank all our farmers for that; they are the ones that are putting in the work, and even though the ones on the coastland are playing a significant role in this, so are these farmers as well. These farmers in the Mahaicony River alone are cultivating over 40 thousand acres of land, and it must be irrigated.”

He added, “I am also happy to share that we will be cleaning some of the critical canals in the area so that these farmers can be in a better position to conduct their farming. We at the ministry, along with regional and other officials, have also decided to send potable water into the Mahaicony River so that the residents can have access to it and have a better holiday for their families.”

He also said that “both the GRDB and the NDIA will keep an eye on the situation and collaborate closely with farmers. In an effort to keep an eye on the salt content of the river, GRDB was assigned to conduct salinity tests four times a day.”

Minister Mustapha also mentioned that farming is a very profitable industry, but one that requires time and effort to operate on any scale. According to him, the Guyana government has supported its citizens, particularly the youth, and it is their intention to continue to do so.

“I want to tell my Guyanese brothers and sisters, especially the young people of our nation, that the agriculture sector is growing at a rapid pace, and I want to remind and encourage you to get involved. Farming requires your time and attention, but it is also a very lucrative business.

And I want you to know that the government of Guyana and my ministry will be working with you to make sure that you are going in the right direction. You also have access to the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA), and the Hope Coconut Estate if you want to get involved in coconut farming. The opportunities are endless, and I hope that you all can get involved, especially our youth and young adults.