By Bebi Shafeah Oosman
MINISTER of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, has announced that 5,000 citrus plants will be distributed to farmers along the East Bank of Berbice.
The announcement was made during a recent meeting with farmers, who indicated that more planting material was needed as land-clearing works continue in the area.
Minister Mustapha said the plants will be sourced through the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI). The citrus varieties will include lime, orange, tangerine, lemon and grapefruit.
Farmers also requested additional land-clearing works, tubing, excavation, drainage cleaning, road works, culverts and a bridge at Macaw, East Bank Berbice.
The minister immediately instructed that systems be put in place to have tubing installed in the requested areas, while several other interventions were also made.
Addressing the gathering, Minister Mustapha said agriculture remains one of the bedrocks of Guyana’s economy.
“Long after oil and gas finish, agriculture will remain,” he said, while urging farmers to modernise their approach to production.
He noted that Guyana cannot continue to practise agriculture in the same way as previous generations if the country is to remain competitive.
“When we plant and go into production, we have to go into large-scale production. We have to plant crops that are easily marketable and things that are needed,” Mustapha said.
He added that while small-scale planting for household and village consumption remains important, Guyana’s broader objective is to become the main food producer for CARICOM.
The minister said this vision is reflected in the government’s increased investment in the sector, noting that the agriculture budget moved from $18 billion in 2020 to $113 billion in 2026.
He said the government recognises agriculture as critical to national food security and is committed to providing the resources needed to make the sector more resilient, less vulnerable and better adapted to climate change.
Minister Mustapha urged farmers to take advantage of the many programmes, resources and initiatives being made available to support agricultural development.
