Against the backdrop of what it says is its focus of creating further opportunities for the development of hinterland agriculture, government has disclosed in its 2018 budget an intention to allocate some $265 million to the design and construction of an agricultural centre and reservoir at Lethem and the upgrading of the existing agricultural research station at Ebini.
The facilities, Finance Minister Winston Jordan said in his budget presentation, are intended to facilitate research programmes in agricultural produce associated with interior locations including cassava, peanuts, orchards, livestock and pasture development in the Savannahs. In 2018, farms in Hosororo and Mabaruma cultivating crops like turmeric, black pepper and ginger will be allocated additional funding for expansion, while, according to the Finance Minister discussions are underway with a view to conducting a feasibility study for the “most suitable options” for the opening up of farming initiatives along the Linden-Ituni-Kwakwani and Kwakwani-Ebini corridors.
And according to Jordan the focus on raising the profile of agriculture in the country’s non-coastal regions is aimed at creating “a more resilient industry that will no longer be affected by the coastal threats caused by climate change.” Beyond the concern over climate change and its possible impact on the country’s agricultural sector the 2018 budget presentation points to what the administration says is the fact that it “remains proactive in the promotion of non-traditional agricultural products, new technologies and supporting infrastructure, towards the ultimate goal of enhancing national production and productivity. Next year’s drive to expand hinterland agriculture is aimed, the Finance Minister says, at “enhancing national food security.
