Region Six farmers receive almost $1B (US$5M) in flood relief

East Berbice/Corentyne (Region Six) farmers from five communities on Sunday began
receiving cash flood relief calculated to the tune of some $1B (US$5M).
Agriculture Minister, Mr. Zulfikar Mustapha, spearheaded the distribution exercise in Auchlyne,
Lesbeholden, Yakusari, Johanna and Mibicuri.
Mustapha assured beneficiaries that the Government is committed to continuing its significant
investments in the agriculture sector.

“The (Irfaan Ali) Government is trying to help. There were many times in this country when we
had flood in 2017/2018 and nobody received anything. Now we are receiving something from
the Government and let me be very frank with you all, since we got into Government, we are
trying our utmost to help the people of our country” Mustapha said.
The agriculture minister stressed that the financial grant is an investment and not a compensation
for the losses suffered by farmers during this year’s floods.
“The Government has saw it fit that we try to get the farmers back as early as possible, as
quickly as possible to the lands,” he said.

The minister reiterated the grants are distributed in a non-discriminatory way.
However, the opposition A Partnership for National Unity Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC)
coalition is reporting favouritism in the cash-distribution programme in Mahaica/Berbice
(Region Five). The party claimed in a social media post that the names of several farmers were
scratched from the list put together to assist farmers who endured massive losses.

On Sunday, Mustapha assured farmers whose names were not on the Region Six list to receive
their cheques on Sunday, will receive theirs within a two-week time span.

“The President has announced that his government will build canals in Regions Three
(Essequibo Islands/West Demerara); so that places like Black Bush Polder will not be affected
with the severe flooding that you had in the last few months. So, all these are the investments
that we are making to the people of our country, we want to develop the Agricultural sector,” the
Minister assured. Livestock farmer, Ronald Jones, was grateful for the assistance.
“I feel proud about it because I glad that I gone get back something that I lost… “I must say
thanks to the government because it wasn’t for him, we couldn’t of get back something” Jones
explained. Another farmer, Deochand Bookie, who is a rice farmer, said: “I plant 200 acres…and
lost (about) 70 acres.”

The distribution of the grants will continue, Mustapha told farmers.