Minister of Amerindian Affairs Carolyn Rodrigues says she is pleased about the progress of the manicole plantation project in Region One.

A Government Information Agency (GINA) press release said about three years ago the ministry, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme, Amazon Caribbean (AMCAR) and several Barima/Waini communities embarked on a project to cultivate about 200 acres of manicole palms; Euterpe Oleracea.

AMCAR operates a factory on the Barima River and in Berbice and is the sole exporter of the heart-of-palm, which is considered a delicacy. Communities, including Red Hill, Hotoquai, Hobodeia, Kamwatta and Warapoka are involved in the project and, while the palm takes four years to mature, residents have already started harvesting from the plantations.

President Bharrat Jagdeo had said that government intends to focus on income-generating activities in Amerindian communities; the Manicole Cabbage Project is one of those ventures. Rodrigues said while the project would create employment for residents it has also reduced the time spent travelling to harvest the manicole from the wild. The palm usually grows in the wild and is harvested by villagers.