Guyana provided technical assistance in agriculture to T&T, Barbados – Mustapha

…urges more youths to get involved in sector

While the face of agriculture in Guyana continues to change, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha is making a call for more youths to be involved in the productive sector, especially since youths as a demographic are lagging in agriculture despite the growing opportunities and Guyana’s increasing influence in the Region.
During a recent visit to Manchester and Number 53 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), Mustapha spoke of the perceptions surrounding agriculture which are changing even as Guyana’s influence in the Caribbean Region grows in the agriculture sector.

This influence recently manifested with President Dr Irfaan Ali being presented with the IICA (Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture) Award for Contribution to Food Security and Sustainable Development. Mustapha also recounted that the Government has sent technical officers to Barbados and Trinidad, to help those countries with their agriculture sector.
“Today the entire Caribbean is looking to Guyana for that leadership in agriculture. I have sent people to Barbados, sent people to Trinidad, to help them there in the agriculture sector. So, we have to also develop ours, if we want food security,” Minister Mustapha said.
“What we are doing right now, we are changing the face of agriculture in Guyana. Only yesterday the President was awarded the first award for IICA… an organisation that comprises 34 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. And the first award went to President Dr Irfaan Ali because of his concern and passion for the agriculture sector and food security,” he added.
According to the Minister, the scope of Government’s potential assistance to young people can include the construction of shade houses and the cultivation of high value crops in communities like Manchester and Lancaster. But he urged residents to organise young people in need of jobs so that his Ministry can get them started in agriculture.
“There are a lot of opportunities for young people. What we found is that young people are not coming into agriculture. Young people see agriculture as an activity for old people. We have to change that perception,” Mustapha said.
Residents around the country and specifically Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) were meanwhile also assured that the Government has a robust community road construction agenda being rolled out. According to Mustapha, between 200 and 300 community roads are to be built in the Cinderella County.
“The Government is presently building hundreds of roads across this country. In Region Six, over 200-300 roads will be built, and are in the process of being built. So that is one of the roads being contracted. You’ll see work shortly. And the Ministry of Public Works, they’re doing work. They have been [contracting] these roads to contractors in the community. And that is one of the roads we have,” Mustapha said.
Back in January, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill had conducted several inspections and community meetings in Region Six. During a community meeting with the Cane Field-Enterprise Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), he had assured residents of the Government’s dedication to fostering development.
He had reminded them of the supplementary amount granted during the previous sitting of the National Assembly, allocated for the construction and rehabilitation of community roads. Minister Edghill stated that those funds would see 132 more roads being constructed in the county. Of this lot, the Minister disclosed that some $150 million will be expended to construct and rehabilitate eight additional roads in the Cane Field-Enterprise area. (G3)