–highlights ongoing investments to enhance processing capacity, improve value-added production
PRIME Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips has stressed the need to ensure Indigenous farmers have reliable markets for their produce, as he outlined a raft of government investments aimed at transforming hinterland communities from subsistence livelihoods to sustainable commercial activity.
Speaking at the 2026 Heritage Village celebrations in Bumbury, Region One, over the weekend, the prime minister said government’s strategy is to pair farm support with guaranteed market access, processing capacity, and reliable transport so that Indigenous producers are not left vulnerable after increasing production.
Region One, he noted, is receiving focused agricultural support, including the commissioning of a pontoon and two excavators to improve drainage and irrigation capacity, critical infrastructure for expanding cultivation in low-lying areas.
Additional agricultural extension officers are to be deployed across the region to work directly with farmers, providing technical guidance and helping them adopt improved practices.
Government has already distributed more than 18,000 coffee plants and over $50 million in planting materials and agricultural inputs to farmers there, a move aimed at diversifying crops and raising incomes.
“Farmers must be able to grow with the confidence that there is a market for what they produce, processing capacity and dependable transportation will determine whether that transition succeeds,” the prime minister said.
At the value-added end of the chain, Phillips pointed to the processing facilities at Hosororo and other communities which are supporting the development of ginger and turmeric production. These facilities, he explained, are intended to move Indigenous producers higher up the value chain by enabling them to supply processed products rather than only raw commodities.
Beyond farm-level support, the prime minister cited wider investments in productive assets and transport that are expected to reinforce agriculture-based livelihoods. Approximately 300 tractors are now owned across Amerindian villages, along with boats, outboard engines and minibuses provided to strengthen transportation and economic activities.
These assets are intended to help farmers move inputs to their farms and get produce out to markets more efficiently, particularly from remote riverine communities.
He framed these measures as part of a broader effort to ensure that Indigenous farmers are not only producing more, but are securely integrated into stable, profitable markets.
Bumbury itself, which has approximately 300 residents, was highlighted as a model of community-driven development.
The prime minister highlighted a $5 million sewing centre, an additional $2 million in furnishings from the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, the installation of 20 streetlights under the Presidential Grant Programme, and approximately $12 million in Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) funding used to renovate 56 homes.
This year, the village received a further $7.5 million in LCDS resources for projects identified by residents.
“Amerindian development cannot be successfully planned from Georgetown by central government alone,” he said, adding that village leaders and residents are best placed to determine their priorities, while government’s role is to listen, support and ensure accountability for public spending.
Prime Minister Phillips outlined that over the past five years, some $41.7 billion has been invested in Amerindian villages and communities nationwide, including $21.7 billion through the Amerindian Development Fund and $14.2 billion via the LCDS.
Parallel to the economic push, government has invested $1.6 billion in ICT hubs between 2021 and 2026, resulting in 170 fully operational hubs and 25 more under construction. More than 3,000 people from 200 communities have received ICT training, 75 per cent of them women, while hinterland power generation has expanded from 1.62 megawatts to roughly 17.5 megawatts, supporting schools, health centres, businesses and homes.
