Dr. Jagdeo declares that 35,000 acres of land will be cultivated in Region Six

A 10-member committee was established to work along with the Agriculture and Finance Ministries, and regional authorities to decide on which crops can be cultivated on some 35,000 acres of land in Region Six.

Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo made this decision on Thursday during a meeting hosted with farmers to examine how the government can assist them with the venture, which is expected to create employment for approximately 3,000 persons in the region. A number of farmers were in attendance at the meeting held in the Conference Hall of the Classic Hotel, Corentyne.

This move, Dr. Jagdeo said, is in keeping with a commitment he made about a month ago when he spearheaded an outreach in the region. The Vice President disclosed that one of the crops being considered for cultivation is hemp, which he stressed can be beneficial to the small farmers. It was revealed that only recently, the Hemp Cultivation legislation was tabled in the National Assembly. Government has already made known its plan to venture into value-added hemp production, which is a multi-billion-dollar industry that would create thousands of jobs.

The VP stressed that auaculture and other small crops are also being considered to be cultivated on these lands. VP Jagdeo revealed that Region Six was the hardest hit from the APNU+AFC’s closure of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) estates, which saw over 7,000 sugar workers losing their jobs. Dr. Jagdeo stressed that this initiative forms part of the government’s co-investment initiative, which will see partnerships with the private sector to create employment opportunities.

The Vice President disclosed another plan to utilise GuySuCo lands for the production of sugar on a smaller scale. VP Jagdeo noted that some of the leases, which state that only sugar cane be cultivated on the lands, will have to be revised to reflect the objective of the venture. The finance minister, he sstressed, will look into this. The former president disclosed that Government is also keen on providing support to the co-ops and ensuring the members benefit equitably.

Dr. Jagdeo pointed out that the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) will also be looking into the drainage system to ensure maximum production, as the intention is to export the produce on a large scale. VP Jagdeo went on to addressed several other concerns raised by the farmers. He give the commitment to providing fertiliser and planting tools to some farmers.

Dr. Jagdeo was accompanied by Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, Local Government and Regional Development Minister, Nigel Dharamlall, officials from the NDIA and the regional administration.