Agri Ministe Buxton farm Er promises ers D&I help
Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha yesterday committed to providing assistance to Buxton farmers with regard to ongoing drainage and irrigation issues.
This commitment was made at a meeting with a number of farmers in Buxton. This was after the minister had met with representatives from the Buxton/Friendship farmers group at the minister’s weekly ‘Farmers Open Day’ last Friday.
A Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) release yesterday also stated that during the meeting, the farmers raised a number of issues and Mustapha made a commitment to having most of them addressed within the coming week.
Farmers in the backdams complained about the lack of drainage due to clogged canals and drains.
Chairman of the farmers’ group, Leroy Hamer, complained that in the past, the community was not able to benefit from drainage and irrigation services.
“We were not getting the cooperation in terms of the maintenance of the water ways. The water level is very low and that causes tremendous damage to our farms. The drainage systems need to be updated and maintained. We also need irrigation. When rain falls we are flooded out and when there is the dry season we have no water to water our crops. We are farmers and if we are planting we have to get water for our crops,” Hamer was quoted as saying.
Mustapha responded by informing the gathering that a machine will be sent to the village to commence works on the canal in a matter of days.
“Driving into this meeting, it was clear that you need drainage. The CEO of NDIA [ Natio Irrigation Authority asked him to send a with the members o community groups making a commi machine from the N manently until the completed,” Mustap
He also told the g small drainage proj and those works w members of the com
“We will give con the community to d ing so that employm community and rev lated. You the benef sign off on the wor are made. If you ar the way the works hold off on making are satisfied,” the M
Curt Adams spo employment for yo village, while othe need for proper ro farms.
The minister info that since the gove operating with an em would not be able major works needed this year.
“My officers are and they will provid report after they co you tomorrow. We w work done to the ac the limited resource the major projects until 2021. I will sp of Public Works so t
onal Drainage & y] is here and I’ve an engineer to meet of the farmers’ and s tomorrow. I am itment to have a NDIA sent here per
works have been pha said. gathering that other ojects will be done will be given to the mmunity. ntracts to persons in o the manual cleanment can be in the venue can be circuficiaries will have to rks before payments re not pleased with s are done we will
payments until you Minister said oke of the lack of oung people in the ers highlighted the ads to access their and have a team come to assess what works can be done to your streets now because I can see that there needs to be some amount of work done to these streets”, the minister said.
A number of persons present expressed an interest in getting into farming and sought the assistance of the minister to obtain basic farming tools such as power saws, grass cutters and cutlasses.
MoA Chief Technical Officer, George Jervis, said that the ministry has an ongoing project that provides persons with tools and other basic agricultural equipment.
Mustapha also took the time to encourage farmers to move away from subsistence farming.
“We have to do agriculture in a different way. NAREI will be commencing a Smart Agriculture Project where they will be making shadehouse materials available to farmers at a cost price. The revenues from this will be put into a revolving fund so that materials can always be available. We are also looking to secure more markets for your produce. I won’t encourage you to increase your production without working to ensure you have markets. Over the next few months, we will be revamping a number of agencies, including the Guyana Marketing Corporation to ensure they place more emphasis on finding markets, both locally and in the Caribbean for your produce,” Mustapha said.
The minister also distributed seeds to farmers as part of the recommenced seed distribution initiative, the release added.