Reg 6 agriculture, industry see production increases

– Better yield for Black Bush Polder rice farmers than rest of Berbice – Region 6 Chairman

Rice farmers in the Black Bush Polder are getting a better yield when compared with other rice farmers in Region Six East Berbice-Corentyne). This is according to Regional Chairman David Armogan as he presented the region’s agriculture report to the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) on Thursday, where he also presented the fishery and sugar sectors’ reports..

Region Six is currently experiencing a robust cultivation of rice, with approximately 72,000 acres under rice cultivation. Harvesting is currently taking place.
According to Armogan, the Black Bush Polder, where about 20,000 acres are under rice cultivation, about 83 percent has been harvested, and an estimated 65 percent harvested elsewhere in the region. In the Black Bush Polder the yield is about 42 bags per acre, while elsewhere in the region it is about 38 bags per acre.
“So in Black Bush, you are getting better yields that in the front land areas. With the heavy rains, some of the dams are in a bad state, but we are working on them to ensure that all of the paddy can come out of the fields in a timely manner, so that nothing is left in the field.”

Focusing his attention of the fishery sector, Armogan noted that production has been on the increase.
“Especially the shrimp industry, whereby a lot of shrimp is being exported. I noticed that the US has now put on a 38 percent tariff on exports coming out of Guyana. That would make our products more expensive in America. We don’t know as yet how that will affect the exports of our agricultural produce coming out of Guyana,” the Chairman said.
Meanwhile, the two grinding sugar estates in the region are set to surpass their targets. With the sugar crop expected to last another six weeks, both the Rosehall and Albion sugar estates have been having a good crop so far.
Albion has a projection target of 14,886 tonnes for this crop, while Rosehall has a target of 7,418 tonnes.
“Rosehall continues to do well with their production and Albion too is doing well at the moment, and so we should be able to make very close to the target in terms of sugar production. In terms of other crops, NAREI [National Agricultural Research Extension Institute] has been distributing plants to farmers within the various communities within the region, to ensure that plants are readily available for farmers do their farming,” Armogan noted.
He pointed out that the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) extension officers have been visiting livestock farmers to ensure that their animals are healthy.
“So that when the meat is killed it is fit for the market place. So, all of the agencies within the Ministry of Agriculture has been working,” Armogan noted.