The Ministry of Agriculture recently launched the ‘Small Farmers’ Group Financial Facility to provide financial support for small farmers and processors at the Kuru Kuru Extension Centre.
Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud and a team of technical officers met with farmers at the Soesdyke Highway location to discuss the programme. The financial facility is part of a US$6.9M Rural Enterprise and Agricul-ture Development (READ) Project being implemented by the Agriculture Sector Development Unit which falls under the purview of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, a press release from the Government Inform-ation Agency (GINA) said.
Persaud said government will continue to focus on farmers’ development particularly those at Kuru Kuru where it is believed that there is tremendous potential. The minister urged the farmers to make full use of the support from government to enhance their capacity. He also noted that he was glad that despite the obstacles they were still optimistic about farming.
At the same time, the farmers told the meeting that they were concerned about emergency drainage in Yarrowkabra, acoushi ants, repairs to the Kuru Kuru access road, the negligence of koker operators at Timehri and non-vaccination of broiler chicks. In response, Persaud said although government is spending huge sums on drainage farmers also “have to give value for money.” In the past, works were given to private contractors but this was stopped after claims of substandard works, and the jobs were then given to farmers.
“I would expect you to cooperate and to give us value for money and to not let this be seen as a money-making enterprise. We expect that by giving these works to farmers’ group we would get quality since you are the beneficiaries,” he said. Persaud also said he believes that kokers are not properly manned due to a breakdown in communication. “We depend on tidal drainage and if you don’t open or close a koker door on time, it can lead to flooding,” he noted. Persaud said for this reason the ministry took over the operations at certain kokers, despite criticism from the region. However, he appealed to farmers to monitor kokers to ensure that they are opened and closed on schedule.
