Mainstay/Whyaka Heritage Day celebrations: 1st set of marine cages arrive in Guyana – Pres Ali

– says work already started on poultry facility
– hands over $3M to improve water supply in village

The cages for the State-sponsored pilot project to introduce marine cages into communities have arrived and will be installed at the Mainstay/Whyaka villages of Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), after the Amerindian Heritage village celebrations are concluded.

This is according to President Dr Irfaan Ali, who on Saturday took part in the Heritage village celebrations where he made the announcement. He explained that the cages are now in the country, the first of their kind, and the installation has been postponed until after the celebrations.
“When I came here, I said to you, I want this community to be part of the food production system. And we told you that we will deliver to you, two of the aquaculture marine cages,” the President said.
“I’m pleased to tell you that those cages would have arrived and based on your request, because of these celebrations, we’ve postponed the installation to after you celebrate. So, you will have the first two marine cages in the country, here in Mainstay, to push aquaculture.”
On his previous visit, the President had also promised that the Government would set up a poultry facility at the community’s school. This is in light of the fact that the demand for chicken from the resort was approximately 800 to 1000 pounds per month. According to him, work has already started on this project.
“We have not only earmarked the money to develop your poultry sector, but we’ve started the construction of the facility and we’re buying the equipment. More than that, we have committed to you to expand the pineapple production and we’ve already set aside the resources for the machinery to get you to expand what is the best pineapple in the world.”
Meanwhile, the President also handed over $3 million to improve water supply in the community.
Back in May, President Ali, while on a visit to Region Two ahead of Independence Day celebrations, had announced the marine cages among a number of major agricultural projects at the Mainstay/Whyaka village.
He had said that the project would seek to produce 11 metric tonnes of fish every nine months. This would also be a youth-driven project, with the assistance of the Government’s technical officers.
“The second project has to do with the youth empowerment project – the innovation. We have worked some numbers. Very recently, I gave the statistics on the shortage of fish and fish products, globally and regionally,” President Ali had said.
“So, what we want to do is start the first pilot in Mainstay, where we’re going to bring the young people together, the Government is going to invest in a commercial marine cage.

We’re going to put the capital investment in. And the aim is to produce 11 metric tonnes of fish every nine months, from this community.”
According to Ali, technical officials would be coming into the community next week to work with the residents in establishing the project and determining the best locations for the marine cage.
“Once we do this right, based on the numbers that we have established, the annual profitability can be as much as $10 million. So, we’re not sitting and waiting. We’re looking at ways, methods, and policies that we can bring on board to uplift your lives.”
So far in the year, the Government has invested some $15.8 billion in the agriculture sector. Of this amount, the sum of $142.7 million out of $343.7 million was expended by the Fisheries Department during the review period.
Through the Government’s interventions into aquaculture production, there was a 444.1 per cent increase in the first half of the year compared with the same period in 2021. Additionally, at mid-year, brackish-water shrimp production increased by 292.6 per cent. This, according to the mid-year report, was a direct result of Government’s expanded brackish-water shrimp production programme.
“This intervention has resulted in the rehabilitation of over 673 acres of shrimp farms, benefitting over 28 shrimp farmers, while contributing to the diversification of the fisheries industry.”
“The upgrade of the Satyadeow Sawh Aquaculture Station and the establishment of cage culture in Region 2 for tambaqui production commenced in the first half of 2022 and are expected to be completed by year-end,” the 2022 Mid-Year Report explained.