– major advancements on the cards for agriculture, health – President Ali says

SEVERAL communities in Region One (Barima-Waini) will benefit from a number of interventions to boost economic development, advance food production and improve the delivery of health care, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has said.

Following several community engagements in the region, the Head of State committed to clearing and empoldering several acres of land.

In Hotoquai in the Mararkai sub-district, President Ali said the government will assist farmers in that community and other surrounding neighbourhoods to clear some 250 acres of land.

“We want to see among these communities present here today at least 50 acres of land in one central area dedicated to pineapples; we want to see 100 acres of land dedicated to plantain production,” he told residents.

The government, he noted, will provide farmers with some 4,000 pounds of ginger and 5,000 coconut plants to expand the production of those crops.

This support, he noted further, will also be given to expand turmeric production. Simultaneously, a market will be established to ensure farmers can sell their produce to earn an income.

“The Guyana Marketing Corporation will work on taking off the produce and bringing the produce to the market, especially now that we are advancing our work in satisfying the CARICOM (Caribbean Community) market,” the Head of State said. This will allow the country to meet the demands of its local and regional markets.

Further support will be given to farmers to start coconut production on a larger scale to meet market demands locally and regionally.

In addition, President Ali informed residents of the government’s plans to establish processing facilities to add value to cassava.
“These are the things that are going to change prospects for our communities. These are the things that are going to lead to sustainability and resilience,” the President said.

Similar support will be given to residents in the communities of Canal Bank and Arakaka.

After listening to the concerns of residents, several commitments were made by President Ali to improve the delivery of education, enhance the local infrastructure, and support other agricultural ventures in the various communities.

HEALTH
Meanwhile, to improve the delivery of health care in the hinterland communities, President Ali announced that a specialised team of health officials will visit the various communities, providing testing for cervical cancer, eye examinations and dental support.

“In the next six weeks we will have the team from health visiting to ensure that we give you screening for cervical cancer, and if any of our women folk require treatment, we will have that treatment given to you. We will bring the eye clinic to the communities,” he told residents.

For persons who require eye spectacles and/or surgery related to their eye health, the government, he noted, will provide the support needed to purchase or conduct same.

“These are the things that matter and these are not just things that we are doing on the coast; these are things that we are doing in every single community. We have nine new doctors that will come to this region,” the Head of State said.

As part of the mammoth $110 billion allocated for the revolutionisation of Guyana’s health sector, the 2024 budget provides some $5.7 billion to assist Guyanese on several medical fronts.

About $2.8 billion is set aside to subsidise cervical cancer testing, to benefit approximately 350,000 persons.
Earlier this year the government had launched a special eye care programme which will enable children and the elderly to receive vouchers for spectacles, should they need them.

Approximately $1.8 billion is expected to facilitate this intervention, benefitting almost 600,000 persons.