General Secretary of the Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has assured farmers on the Essequibo Coast that the government will continue to invest heavily in the local agriculture sector.
Investments will be made into crops such as rice and onions, and in setting up storage facilities as well as farm-to-market infrastructure.
Speaking during a community outreach at the Affiance No. 1 Ballfield in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Jagdeo – who is also the country’s Vice President – outlined the government’s vision for the sector.
“We’re looking at, say, growing all the onion that we consume on the Essequibo Coast…We’re going to bring in the seed, have the farmers work on that, because they can make much, much money,” Jagdeo explained.
He pointed out that crop diversification is a key goal of the administration. However, he reaffirmed the government’s strong support for rice producers and committed to resolving one of the industry’s long-standing challenges that is limited storage capacity during harvesting periods.
“In the rice industry, we promise if we’re going to get this high yield, we may have to invest in trying to facilitate government-owned ones [storage facilities], where people can rent the space, keep the paddy there…You dry it early and you store it, so that you don’t have this six weeks window between cutting the paddy and getting it into the mill,” he explained.
The Vice President said many of the rice mills do not have adequate intake capacity, leading to bottlenecks and loss in quality for farmers.
“It’s unfair to get the private millers to invest only in greater storage just to cover that intake period. So, the State may have to invest a lot in that too,” he added.
Jagdeo further committed to the continued development of farm-to-market roads and support for cash crop production. He highlighted that the PPP/C Government has always been accessible and responsive to farmers’ concerns and that this will continue in the next term.
“Of course, continuation of help for farm-to-market roads and everything else seed paddy and so, cash crop, job creation, a lot of those things,” he said.
He also stressed the importance of creating value for farmers and ensuring they are supported not just during harvest but across the entire production cycle. The investments, he noted, will help farmers increase income and access better opportunities.
To further boost agriculture and trade, VP Jagdeo revealed that plans are underway to expand port capacity and develop a four-lane road from Charity all the way to Supenaam.
“We’d have to expand portage capacity for more vessels to come here…A four-lane road from Charity all the way to Supenaam on the Essequibo Coast…these things will open up markets and reduce transportation time,” he said
The Vice President reminded residents that under the PPP/C Government, they will always have a sympathetic ear and real support.
“You know once we’re in office, you have a sympathetic ear… Even in the tough times, we’re here,” Jagdeo stated.
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