$10M Mabaruma fish processing facility works moving apace

The newly-introduced fish and crab processing initiative in Mabaruma, Region One (Barima-Waini) is said to be moving along in keeping with the Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Ministry’s mandate to ensure that the site is in operation in the coming months.
This was shared by the Junior Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Minister Valerie Garrido-Lowe, who told Guyana Times on Thursday that a piece of land has been identified and the residents are working to clear the area. She noted that the $10 million budget is being processed and the works will commence shortly.
“The site for the building has been identified and the people have begun to prepare the area and they’re doing things like weeding the land and digging drains. The money is being processed right now and once that’s completed, we

will go ahead with the construction. Budget is $10 million, but it comes from effort from the residents. The villagers have put their input too and it is their land and they’re promoting family farming,” the Minister stated.
She indicated that training would be provided shortly for persons in the region. The facility will provide employment for a maximum of 15 persons, but they will initially begin with seven. Shifts will be rotated to ensure all are provided with employment.
“Along with that, training will also be done with persons in the community, where we’re looking to provide employment for 10 to 15 persons. They will not gain full-time employment, so it will be rotating. This means that every two weeks or so, a person will be able to earn from the facility, so it will be rotated among those persons.”
Earlier this year, it was related that plans were in the making to establish the facility, since many residents would not make a significant profit from their crab and fish owing to a lack of market and unavailability of storage. In this way, the shelf-life of the seafood is lengthened and fisherfolk can supply neighbouring areas.
Garrido-Lowe also commented on the coffee project which is ongoing in Region One, noting that by November, the seedlings should be planted along with cash crops to sustain the farmers until the coffee beans could be reaped.
“For the coffee project, the people have identified that land; we decided what cash crops to plant in between; we’re going back there by next weekend. We’re carrying in another specialist there and I think within two months or so, coffee should grow,” she said.