East Bank Berbice loggers set for 5,000-acre expansion

The government is expanding opportunities for loggers on the East Bank Berbice, with Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat announcing plans to increase the acreage available to the local logging association by approximately 5,000 acres.

The announcement was made during a meeting with loggers and residents of Mara, where the minister engaged stakeholders on the challenges affecting the association and outlined several measures aimed at strengthening its operations and creating greater economic opportunities for its members.

According to the minister, the association currently holds 8,500 acres, with an additional 5,000 acres expected to accommodate its growing membership once the association is reorganised and a new executive is elected.

“The current association has about 8,500 acres now. We will add about 5,000 acres to that because the association would have grown over the years and more people are part of it, so now they will be accommodated with the extension,” Minister Bharrat said.

The proposed expansion is expected to provide greater access to forestry resources for members of the association, and support increased participation in the sector, particularly among residents who depend on logging and related activities for their livelihoods.

The initiative is also part of wider efforts to strengthen the association’s structure and ensure that its members can benefit more effectively from opportunities within the forestry sector. The minister said the first step will be to reorganise the association and establish a new executive through an election.

The Guyana Forestry Commission is expected to meet with the firewood association and other small associations in the East Bank Berbice on September 27 in Mara to facilitate the process and advance the establishment of a properly functioning association.

Once the restructuring is completed, the government will be in a position to move forward with the proposed concession extension.

The government is also exploring the possibility of allowing interested members of the association to pursue medium-scale mining, providing another avenue through which residents could diversify their livelihoods while remaining engaged in the forestry sector.

The proposed concession expansion therefore forms part of a broader effort to strengthen the East Bank Berbice’s natural-resource sector while creating additional pathways for residents to earn livelihoods, develop businesses and participate in economic activity within their communities. [DPI]