Cassava farmers in Massara, Region Nine, will soon receive a $5 million grant to enhance cassava production, as part of the government’s proactive efforts to strengthen food security. The grant is expected within one week.
Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha announced the initiative during a recent two-day outreach in the region.
The National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) will also offer technical support for the project.
Additionally, Minister Mustapha disclosed that 15 rolls of fencing materials would be supplied to Massara to support the cassava initiative. He noted that distributing cassava sticks would help alleviate the challenges farmers face due to the prolonged dry season.
The minister then pointed out, “I want to make the commitment that within one week, we will send nearly 60,000 pounds of cassava for the community of Annai to work with… These are the economic developments that we are talking about…”
The agriculture minister reiterated the government’s commitment to providing the necessary support to the farmers to improve their livelihoods, increase production and generate more disposable income for their households.
Back in March, close to 1 million pounds of cassava were distributed to several communities in the region.
The government had also announced plans to procure and install a cassava mill valued at $20 million in Nappi.
In May, President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali highlighted that Guyana reaped more than 20 million pounds of cassava so far for 2024.
The government also introduced a new variety of cassava aimed at increasing the yield from 15 to 30 tonnes per hectare.
The communities also received numerous farming inputs to increase agricultural production.
Minister Mustapha reiterated the government’s firm stance to prioritise the needs of Guyanese citizens through the execution of various programmes and policies.
This, he said, is part of the PPP/C Administration’s plan to build a robust Guyana for 2030 and beyond, bringing prosperity to all Guyanese.
Meanwhile, Minister Mustapha presented handed over a Mavic Multispectral Drone to the Regional Executive Officer (REO) Karl Singh.
The state-of-the-art drone will assist the Regional Agriculture Department to conduct proper analysis and testing of the soil aimed at providing better agricultural services.
The drone, worth about $3 million, was acquired through funding from the government and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), which falls under the ministry’s Hinterland Environmentally Sustainable Agricultural Development (HESAD) project. (Department of Public Information)
