By Staff Writer
In a bid to improve its extension services in far-flung areas of the country, the National Agriculture Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), on Friday, commissioned a new office building and an ATV in the village of Paramakatoi, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni).
The construction of the building was executed to the tune of $36,822,665 while the ATV was procured at a cost of $1,995,000.
The building, which forms part of the agency’s 2020 capital projects, will be used to house NAREI’s extension staff as well as to conduct training for farmers and other persons in the village who are involved in agriculture-related activities.
While delivering remarks at the commissioning, Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha said the government is working to ensure agriculture in hinterland areas benefit from the same level of development as the coastal areas.
Guyana Standard also understands that the projects also saw the construction of a fence, a security hut, the installation of perimeter lighting, utilities work, as well as furnishing.
Following the exercise, Minister Mustapha toured a shadehouse that was set up by the research institute. The shadehouse, which is located in the compound of the office, will ensure quality seedlings are made available to villagers.
While in the region, Minister Mustapha also spearheaded the government’s ongoing flood relief which saw approximately 340 farmers benefiting from close to $29 million in relief grants. During that exercise, Minister Mustapha encouraged the farmers to use the grant to return to that land.
Farmers who received the grant thanked the government for the assistance, as many of them would’ve lost their crop. Farmers in the village are known to cultivate mostly ground provisions such as cassava, yams, and eddoes.
