More subsidies, extension services for farmers – Pres Ali tells Wakenaam

– investments in Stelling, river transportation to come

In the next five years, farmers can expect more support from the new People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government to not only expand their operations but also make transportation of their produce easier.
This assurance was given by President Dr Irfaan Ali during a grand public meeting at Wakenaam in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) on Friday evening.
Ali, who is seeking a second term in office, said that the current PPP/C administration has fulfilled commitments made to the island in 2020 and the evidence of this is reflected in the development of the island over the last five years.

However, the president assured that this is just the “beginning of a massive transformation” to come.
That transformation will see investments in roads, enhanced water quality, cheaper and more reliable electricity, and improved security and technology, so that residents can get free tertiary education without having to leave the island.
As an agricultural economy, Wakenaam will benefit tremendously with planned investments to enhance the Stelling, and support for the island’s transportation system that will see low and reduced costs, which will benefit every resident, including pensioners and children.

President Ali added that farmers will also reap the benefit with arrangements for cold storage facilities and processing plants that will not only bring value creation but also job opportunities especially for young people.
“These are the things that are key and these are the things that we’re going to invest in to make your life strong and stable. Not only are we going to invest in the Stelling but we’re going to invest in the river transport also so that we can have your produce transported to Parika and elsewhere at a cheaper cost by giving you direct transfers, direct incentives, removing the duty on ATVs and the duty on 150 horsepower engines so that our farmers can benefit more,” Ali stated.
The Head of State went on to promise more subsidies to farmers especially for fuel and fertiliser.

Land optimisation
He also detailed plans for the development of a strategic plan here focused on land optimisation.
While the island is primarily focused on plantain and rice production, Ali said there is much scope for crop diversification – something which the government will help to finance and provide the technology to do.
“We will help you with the extension services to convert at least one acre in every 10 acre into high-value production so that you can earn more from your land. Your revenue from your land will be expanded and the risk can be reduced.”
“Today, we have been able to reduce the risk on lending to our farmers, especially rice farmers…and we’re going to set up a special incentive – a special development fund, so that our farmers will not borrow at 8% and 9% and 12%. Our farmers must borrow at nothing more than 4%… That is what your next government is going to do, create the incentives, create the ecosystem to support the reduction of interest rate, to support more financing coming to our agricultural sector,” the president outlined.
To further boost the island’s agricultural output, Ali said that under the next PPP/C Administration there will be massive support for small businesses including women-led businesses, especially in agro-processing.
According to Ali, “We’re going to work with our farmers to reduce their cost of production by giving them direct subsidy, by helping them with more extension services, by helping them with equipment and machinery that is critical to make every small farmer, every medium farmer, every large farmer, profitable… The new ferry that we’re going to bring, we will put more subsidies so all our farmers can benefit from that… We are going to bring the consumer closer to the farmer by building a farmers market and creating an ecosystem that will take you closer to the consumer.”
But even as he outlined these vast plans to create wealth and roll out big projects, the Head of State noted that they have not forgotten about the small things that need to be fixed. Projects like community drains, playgrounds, the cremation site, the burial site and the waterfront development will all be done, he assured.
“We have to fix those but we’re going to fix it differently. We going to empower you, the people, by giving you the money and the resources and the equipment to fix it yourself so that the money remains here in the community… We don’t need big contractors to come and fix those things. You will be fixing it yourself because we will be investing in you to fix it.”