Shade house, other assistance announced for Reg 10 farmers

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha on Saturday led an outreach to Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), where he met with farmers from West Watooka and Dallawalla to discuss some of the issues affecting them.
During the meeting, farmers requested assistance with lands to develop cattle pastures, access roads to gain entry to their farms, farming tools, improved drainage and irrigation, as well as assistance to develop poultry rearing and expand their farming activities.
In response, Minister Mustapha told the farmers that the Government remains committed to working with every farmer to develop the sector. Mustapha added that his Ministry will work to ensure all their issues are resolved.
He also advised that a farmers’ group consisting of young people in the area be established. Once the group is formed, Mustapha said that he will meet with them and provide assistance with setting up a shade house to assist with their cultivation.

Recently, the Minister has been conducting widespread outreaches across communities, where engagements with farmers have led to issues facing them, and Government’s plans for intervention.
Just a few hours before, Mustapha met with cattle and cash crop farmers from Enmore on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD). Both groups of farmers, some of whom are past estate workers, said following the closure of the Enmore Estate they began rearing cattle and planting cash crops to sustain their families.
During the meeting, they sought the Minister’s assistance with providing additional land to expand their cultivation and improved pastures to graze their animals.
Minister Mustapha told the farmers that the Government was working to develop the sector and that the Ministry will work to identify alternative areas to assist them with their agricultural needs.
These outreaches have led to immediate interventions for numerous villages. On Friday, cattle farmers from Belladrum in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) benefitted from improved genetic material after receiving a breeding bull to boost their stock.
The Agriculture Minister made the handover just two weeks after they made a request to President Dr Irfaan Ali during a community meeting.
Mustapha related that his Government intends to develop the cattle industry and that the necessary resources will be made available to assist cattle farmers across the country to improve their herds.
It was also announced that Cabinet recently approved the construction of a state-of-the-art abattoir in the region as part of the efforts to develop the sector.