Unless the cost of energy is lowered, Guyana will not be “going anywhere”, Agricul-ture Minister, Robert Persaud said yesterday.
Interacting with farmers at Mora Point, Mahaicony River, Persaud said that if the cost of energy is tackled successfully, a range of products can be produced. In the long term, he told the farmers, they should look much more at value-added products because the price and demand tends to be more stable. In this light, he referred to the hydro-electricity plant being built.
Further, he urged the farmers to educate their children pointing to President Bharrat Jagdeo’s pledge of some US$30 million over the next three years to purchase laptops for poor families. If people are not educated, they will not be able to realize the potential and value in this, he said.
He urged the farmers to be climate alert pointing out that this is a challenge being faced. He said that works have been done to assist farmers in the Mahaicony area but there is more that have to be done. The Minister pointed out that the first rice crop for this year was greater than the first crop last year and another bumper crop is expected.
In relation to problems in receiving payments from rice millers, Persaud said that if the farmers have outstanding issues, the Ministry will be providing free legal advice. He said that the government has been seeking new markets, pointing to the rice deal with Venezuela. “We want the farmers to directly benefit from that”, said the minister.
Further, he said the Ministry is looking at a range of interventions to support livestock while they are also focusing on aquaculture. He said that they are about to purchase a dedicated excavator to dig ponds. He urged the farmers to diversify. “Our farmers need to be aware, our farmers need to be modern, our farmers need to be up to date”, he said adding that this is why the ministry has conducted training programmes.
In the meeting with the farmers, several raised issues of flooding. Following the brief visit, a technical team was left to further interact with the farmers to get their concerns in greater detail.
Persaud also visited the Retrieve canal and sluice being constructed parallel to the Mahaicony River, which will assist in draining the area. The aim is to complete the $165M sluice in time for the end of year rainy season, Persaud said. The canal is being constructed at a cost of $47.5M.
The project will aid in reducing the vulnerability of Mahaicony Creek residents to flooding, Persaud said. A similar canal is being constructed at Mahaica.
