Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud and a team visited Mabaruma, Region One on Tuesday to reintroduce agriculture to the community as part of its agriculture diversification project as well as to inspect the Morawhanna port of entry.
Persaud said government made the facility available to a private investor with the understanding that it would be a support to fishermen as an ice processing plant was expected to be operated there. According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release the minister visited the facility after reports that it was not functioning in its expected capacity.
GINA said government had rented the port rather than operating it as the existing facility was costly to maintain and the new one was expected to include a bottling and processing plant. “There is no physical evidence of developmental work ongoing at the facility,” Persaud said, adding that the investors needed to provide a clear timeline of the works as currently the inactivity was hampering fisher folk.
The minister said government expects the facility to be used as a key transshipment port for the hinterland regions of Guyana. He said plans are in train to reintroduce the agriculture programme to the Region One community to stimulate the interests of youth as the programme has long-term economic viability. He emphasized that the old method of farming cannot encompass social changes as a new form of agriculture is needed for competitiveness. In the light of this several new technologies will be implemented.
GINA said recently experts who will be stationed in the three sub-regions visited 15 communities to identify areas that can support the agriculture diversification initiative.
Persaud said the ministry will be establishing more agents for the areas and that assistance will be provided to target pests such as the acoushi ants. Several machines and a quantity of chemicals were handed over to combat the insect problem, although earlier attempts to eradicate them proved futile.
