The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations on Tuesday handed over a quantity of safety equipment to the Ministry of Agriculture’s Fisheries Department as part of its Emergency Response and Early Recovery Support to Smallholder Farmers Affected by the 2021 Floods in Guyana and Suriname programme.
The donation was handed over to the ministry by FAO’s Country Representative, Dr. Gillian Smith.
The donation which was valued at $9.6M comprised of 150 pieces of safety gear such as fuel containers, life jackets, first-aid kits, rain jackets, and whistles.
Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha who received the items said the fishing industry supports the livelihoods of many and remains a significant employer of both men and women in Guyana’s agriculture sector, employing some 9000 persons directly.
Noting that the partnerships between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Food and Agriculture Organization continue to break ground in improving the lives of citizens through meaningful engagements and impactful projects, Minister Mustapha also said that the project’s additional focus on improving the technical capacity of Fisheries Department in disaster risk management is a welcomed addition. He said the knowledge acquired will be shared with fisherfolk through various strategic training exercises and field visits.
Some 150 fishers from Regions 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 are set to benefit from the project.
FAO’s Country Representative, Dr. Gillian Smith while offering remarks said the ability of small fishers to stay safe at sea remains a great concern to policymakers and pledged FAO’s continued support to the government in this regard.
“This is part of an emergency response project that we started in which we’ve done some work with livestock and crop farmers. Today, we are very grateful to be working with the ministry for fishers, in particular small fishers. We know that there is a great concern for small fishers and their ability to stay safe at sea while they are making their livelihood so we are very pleased to provide some support,” Dr. Smith said.
Some 150 fishers from Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, and Six are expected to benefit from the project.
