–water woes, other issues to be addressed, President Ali says in immediate response to residents

RESPONDING immediately to the requests of residents and farmers of Mocha Arcadia on the East Bank of Demerara, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has committed to providing support in establishing an integrated farm, and the delivery of mobile pumps to support the community’s food production and overall agriculture drive.

During a walkabout exercise and engagement with residents of the community on Thursday evening, several residents highlighted the need for additional agricultural inputs such as seedlings.

“Today, I wanted to evaluate in Mocha what are the new areas, and how do we expand some of the areas that we have already started working on. One of the things that I want to have in this area is to have as much young people and single mothers participating in food production and agriculture, to work with our farmers, and to participate in agriculture,” President Ali told residents.

During the engagement, several young men and women signalled their desire to expand their current poultry and cash-crop farms.
“Right now, I planting some plantain suckers by the dam there suh, and I would like to ask for 1,000 more. I have about 300, and I want a thousand,” one young man said while engaging the president and other officials.

Another resident signalled their interest in establishing a shade house.

In response, the president suggested that farmers organise themselves into a consortium to establish an integrated farm. Through this approach, the president explained, the government can provide better support.

“If we can get ten of them to come together who got two acres or three acres each, or one acre each, we get 30 acres together, we will work with you on designing an integrated farm. What we can help you to do is get one big integrated farm, where we will have poultry, pig rearing [and] shade house,” Dr. Ali said.

Another man disclosed that some farmers have been finding it difficult to access water due to low pressure, and the president immediately committed to delivering a mobile water pump.

Aside from agriculture, residents complained that the community’s water pressure has been extremely low, and that they, for some time, have been affected by discoloured water.

The President further disclosed that works are underway to establish water wells in the community, and once this is completed, clean potable water will be available to them.

He further urged officials of the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), who were also present during the community engagement, to address the matter with urgency.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha disclosed that the government has already delivered on previous commitments to the community.

Both the agriculture minister and the president had visited the community on several occasions.

“The president came and he would have made a number of commitments, and I am happy to say in front of the president and in front of you all (residents) that we would have fulfilled all the commitments that the president came here and made in agriculture,” the minister said.

According to Mustapha, 19 canals were excavated, and 25 farmer drains and beds have been completed as per requests by residents.
Meanwhile, support in the form of agriculture inputs such as seedlings and small ruminants for poultry were also made available to farmers.

“We have given black giants to residents in this community. We have given livestock pigs, we have given breeding stocks, ram goats; a number of livestock we have given.

“This shows our concern; that shows our commitment to all the areas in Guyana, and we will continue to deliver on our commitment,” Minister Mustapha said.