–Minister Mustapha emphasises
AS part of continued efforts to ensure that production continues and farmers are supported amidst the prolonged dry season, Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, said that the government is working diligently to ensure that farmers in every region have access to the necessary planting materials and an adequate water supply.
Minister Mustapha told the Guyana Chronicle that one of the government’s primary objectives since assuming office in 2020 is to ensure that farmers receive substantial assistance from his ministry, especially when they are faced with unique challenges.
According to him: “We remained committed to delivering on what our manifesto said, and that is, providing free planting materials and direct help to our farmers across the country. We are also giving them inputs such as fertilisers, insecticides, pesticides, and a number of other assistances so that they can be in a better position to plant their crops with little to no major expense to them.
What we have also done is supply these farmers with a number of farming equipment such as water pumps, forks, cutlasses, shovels, and much more.”
Drawing attention to the extended dry season, Minister Mustapha said, that they are still seeing an increase in production in some of the industries, such as rice.
He added: “Even though we are in a long, dry season, I am pleased to say that in the rice industry, this crop was one of the longest crops ever, with the thousands acres that we have cultivated. This could not have been possible without proper management and the way in which the water system and the irrigation system are being managed.”
Minister Mustapha further said that as a government, they are working closely and will continue to work closely with the farmers throughout Guyana.
“I want to also highlight that the President, Dr. Ali himself, has been regularly enquiring, and visiting the different regions, listening to the farmers, and making sure that together we deal with any issue that they are faced with. President Ali has made it clear that we must do everything in our power to ensure that our farmers comfortably take care of their produce with the limited effects of the dry season,” he said.
In his early morning visits with President Ali to several communities, Minister Mustapha related that the President conducted his site visits and, in some areas, instructed that systems be put in place so that irrigation does not become an issue.
“About three Sundays ago, we went to visit different areas in Region Three, places like Canals Polder and Naamryck, to see the irrigation system and put systems in place so that farmers would not be at a disadvantage during the dry spell and to bring relief to them.
“Farmers are eagerly looking to us for assistance and guidance, and we are working with them so that they don’t have to worry about irrigation, and I am happy to say that they are coping well during this time,” he added.
With a forward-thinking mindset, Minister Mustapha related that several small pumps were distributed to regions across the country last year so that farmers could have access to water for their kitchen gardens.
He also noted: “While we made sure that our small farmers were not affected by irrigation. In the rice sector, we have placed a number of pumps in different areas throughout Guyana, and we have been pumping water from the conservancy to some main canals so that the irrigation canals could have water for the fields. I am also happy to say that we have additional pumps in all of our regions.”
Noting that some farmers may have additional issues, the Agriculture Minister said that they are working “round the clock” to have them fixed.
“We continue to put in a lot of effort to ensure that we increase our food production, so we would not allow our farmers to suffer because of limited irrigation,” Mustapha emphasised.
EXTENSION SERVICES
Regarding the country’s extension services, Minister Mustapha emphasised: “We are also ensuring that our extension services in this country provide the necessary assistance to the farmers so that we are not only giving them planting materials and equipment, but we are also giving them the technical advice to ensure that they are guided correctly.
“That is why we were able to see the increase in production in many areas, and I must say to farmers that we will continue to lend our support to you so that we can continue to progress and grow your produce successfully.”
Expressing gratitude to the government and the Ministry of Agriculture for their support and assistance in his poultry business, a poultry farmer from Sandvoort, West Canje, Berbice said: “I was motivated to go into poultry farming based on a seminar that was held opposite little rock…all of us cannot work in the oil and gas sector, but what we can do is to help to support the necessary needs of the oil and gas sector especially in terms of agriculture.
“Because you have an influx of people coming into the country, they need to eat…Minister Mustapha I would just like to say…so far, I have received a lot of technical advice from the government and the MOA, and for that I would like to say thank you and I look forward to continuing with a good relationship with the ministry.”
