Modern ways needed for increased production – Agri Minister

As Guyana continues to push its food security agenda, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha on Saturday outlined to farmers in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) that they need to adopt new and modern techniques in order to increase their productive output. His comments were made on the eve of Agriculture Month.
Region Five is an agriculturally-based region, being the country’s leading cattle-producing region. Apart from that, cash crops and rice are produced in the region. However, residents of Bath Settlement, most of whom are cash crop farmers, recently met with Public Service Minister Sonia Parag, who has ministerial responsibilities for the Region, and aired some of their concerns.
Minister Parag arranged for Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha to meet with the farmers, and he met with them on Saturday. Among the issues raised at that meeting is the need for fresh water for cash crop farmers.
The farmers also complained of the spraying of waterways to kill unwanted vegetation. They said it adversely affects their crops.
According to Mustapha, this issue was addressed even before the meeting was arranged. He pointed out that after hearing some of the problems, he had contacted the Guyana Water Inc. and ensured the necessary arrangements were put in place for water to be available for those farmers.
Some farmers thanked the Agriculture Minister for his timely intervention.
Meanwhile, one farmer, Seenarine Persaud, pointed out that one of the major problems affecting cash crop farmers is the destruction of their crops by cattle.
Another farmer, Mahindra Sanmoogan, retaliated by saying that many cash crop farmers do not have their plots fenced. He said cash crop farmers should not be blaming cattle farmers when animals damage their crops if their areas are not protected from animals.
Responding, Mustapha said those who have cattle, pigs, or small ruminants have a responsibility to ensure those animals do not go into farmers’ fields, regardless of whether those fields are not fenced.
Mustapha has called on farmers to modernise the way in which they practise agriculture. He says this would result in higher yields.
“The things that you all raised are conflicts that existed in this country for centuries. The cattle and rice conflict and things that you all raised are things that existed in this county for years. We have to (find) a solution, and many farmers – be it livestock, cash crop or cattle farmers – who have been doing things the same way that their foreparents did when they came to Guyana and expect better results, they can’t,” the Agriculture Minister pointed out. (G4)