Region Nine farmers receive cassava planting materials

  ─ to boost food production in the region

Several farmers in Region Nine received materials for cassava planting from the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) over the weekend, to boost food production in the region, which forms part of the government’s aggressive food security agenda.

These communities include Aranaputa, Haiwa, Nappi, Moco Moco, Kumu, St Ignatius, and Quarrie.

Cassava is one of the main tubers grown in the region and is the most important staple for residents residing in the Rupununi region.

Chairman of the Regional Democratic Council, Bryan Allicock on Monday explained the benefits of the initiative, noting that it will provide income for those persons residing in the remote villages.
“From these plants, they are going to make farine, cassava bread and other by-products from the cassava…part of it is providing income to those families who would normally depend on the byproducts of the cassava,” Allicock told the Department of Public Information (DPI).

Villages in the North and South Rupununi will also benefit from planting materials over the next weekend. In total, 35 tonnes of planting materials for cassava plants will be distributed to all villages located in Region Nine.

“They have already prepared their lands for planting, we have requested about 20 tonnes more, so that others like the riverine people [can benefit] and some other villages in the north. But they’ll have to wait on the other shipment to come in before we can distribute,” the chairman pointed out.
Tractors that were distributed by the government to the region’s sub-districts are being used to prepare lands for the planting of cassava in these villages.

This is in keeping with President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali’s commitment to have cassava sticks delivered to the villages, which he said, will create an avenue for income to support families in the area.

Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha during the Committee of Supply earlier this year, had also explained that Region Nine is slated for massive development in the agriculture sector, to contribute to the country’s food security efforts.

Guyana is leading the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in its food security drive to lessen the almost $5 billion food import bill by 25 per cent by the year 2025.