AS part of a two-day Cabinet outreach to the Essequibo Islands – West Demerara region, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, on Friday, met with farmers and residents from Belle West and other surrounding communities in Canal No. 2 Polder, as well as Hague, Blankenburg, and other neighbouring communities in that area.
While addressing residents, Minister Mustapha said that the government has, over the last five years, deliberately put systems in place to deliver long-term development to communities and improve the lives of Guyanese across the country.
He emphasised that the government has spent the last five years building systems designed to bring immediate relief to citizens across the country, adding that the Ali-led PPP/C administration has fulfilled all of the promises made in its 2020 campaign manifesto.
“Over the last five years, we have been putting systems in place so that we can bring immediate relief to the people of this country. The primary purpose of these outreach efforts is to ensure that residents have direct engagement with their government and that issues are addressed promptly and effectively. When we went to the electorate in 2020, we presented a manifesto.
“I am happy to report that at the end of that term, this PPP/C government was able to fulfill every commitment made in that manifesto. We are now working aggressively to achieve every commitment made in the 2025 manifesto. If you listened to the President’s address a few days ago when he outlined the government’s policy agenda for economic growth and social development for the next five years, you’d know that we have to do about 15 years’ work in the next five years. That is how aggressive we will be working for you because we want this country to continue to develop rapidly,” Minister Mustapha said.
With the region now becoming one of the most productive regions in the country, Minister Mustapha also disclosed that the government has been engaging major private sector players, both locally and internationally, to develop Public-Private-Partnership within the agriculture sector.
He told residents that a contract was recently signed with an Indian company for the construction of a sugar refinery at the Wales Estate, which was closed under the former APNU+AFC administration. Once operational, Minister Mustapha said that the project will create new opportunities for people in the region.
Addressing drainage and irrigation challenges affecting the residents in Hague and other surrounding areas, the Minister assured residents that a machine will soon be assigned to execute the necessary works to mitigate flooding.

“We will be assigning a machine to address the drainage and irrigation issues in this area, and those works will commence soon. Some community drains are already being developed, and once the revetment works are completed, we will move in to excavate the drains to improve water flow,” he said.
Minister Mustapha also said that the government is currently engaged in major national investments that will benefit the region, including the construction of another state-of-the-art Level Five hospital. He added that the gas-to-shore project is expected to come on stream next year, bringing significant reductions in electricity and cooking gas costs. With this, he noted that the establishment of a fertiliser plant is also in the pipeline, which, once operational, will further reduce costs and strengthen food production.
Highlighting the country’s economic performance, the Minister noted that agriculture, fisheries, and forestry grew by a combined 13 per cent in the first half of 2025.
Minister Mustapha also said that the government was working to further expand the country’s agro-processing sector. This, he explained, includes the establishment of a cassava processing facility at Parika that will soon commence production of cassava flour.
“In the next five years, we will build a strong agro-processing sector here. At Parika, we are setting up a cassava processing plant. We’ve engaged NAMILCO, and they have expressed interest in incorporating cassava flour into wheat flour blends, opening new markets for farmers. In terms of other areas in agro-processing, agencies like the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute and the New Guyana Marketing Corporation will work directly with you to guide what crops to cultivate, based on soil type and market demand,” Minister Mustapha explained.
Farmers were also encouraged to utilise the facilities that will be offered when the Guyana Development Bank is established next year to expand their operations.
“This government, your government, continues to implement policies targeting small- and medium-scale farmers. Next year, when the Guyana Development Bank is launched, you should take full advantage of those facilities. It will be a game changer for the sector because you will be able to benefit from zero-interest loans to expand your businesses and operations,” he noted.
Minister Mustapha was accompanied by Permanent Secretary, Daun Ellis, Director General, Dhaneshwar Deonarine, and other agency heads and technical officers from the ministry. (Ministry of Agriculture press release)