…says PPP/C committed to resuscitating agriculture
…hands over $446M in tractors to Indigenous communities
Reminding of how food security declined between 2015 and 2020 under the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government, President Dr Irfaan Ali made it clear that Government is committed to addressing this.
President Irfaan Ali handing over the tractor keys to Toshao for Wakapao, Region Two, Lloyd Perreira
He made these remarks on Wednesday during a ceremony at the Hinterland Student Dormitory at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara, to hand over 30 tractors and trailers totalling some $446 million to Toshaos of Amerindian villages across the country.
The President assured the village leaders that his Government will work closely with farmers to restore the viability of their farmlands. According to him, a plan is underway that will help farmers recover, while building a more resilient agriculture sector.
“Food security has been impacted by the decline in non-traditional agriculture between 2015-2020. Production of non-traditional agriculture declined from 11,000 metric tonnes in 2015 to 9077 metric tonnes in 2020. This is compounded also, by the decline in agro-processing.”
“Many interior communities have been affected by the floods resulting in the loss of produce and the destruction of farmlands. In some communities, the availability of food remains perilous. We are, however, going to rebuild stronger and better,” the President said.
Meanwhile, Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai also spoke of the significance of the equipment being allocated. According to her, it is a tangible investment in the development of the Indigenous people.
“Our event today (Wednesday) is to ensure that the investment touches the lives of Amerindians across the hinterland, where many of us resides and where the six years of reversal of our economy and neglect we experienced, today we’re correcting those issues.”
“And we’re working assiduously with the government to ensure that Amerindian development is accelerated. And in so doing, one of the most important pillars of our economy, agriculture, is being addressed,” she said.
It is understood that an additional 83 tractors, hydraulic carriage, and implements will be handed over to more hinterland communities to support agriculture in the villages.
Last year, an Amerindian Development Fund (ADF) was established to provide funding to support the socio-economic development of Amerindian communities and villages, through the implementation of their Community Development Plans (CDPs).
CDPs were identified and developed by the Amerindian villages themselves which proposed their priority projects to be financed under the GRIF ADF. President Ali had announced $800 million being allocated in the 2020 emergency budget for the fund.
At the time, APNU/AFC’s decision to vote against the Amerindian capital budget in Parliament provoked much criticism against them. Their vote against the budget included a vote against over $200 million in grants to Amerindian communities. (G3)
