68 households in Hotoquai benefitting from $6.5M tractor, trailer
A total of 68 households in Hotoquai Village in the Mabaruma sub-district, Region One are now beneficiaries of a $6.5 million tractor to support their economic development.
The tractor is equipped with a trailer, harrow and plough.
Tractors and trailers help with the labour-intensive parts of agriculture and provide transportation for those living in far-flung settlements.
Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal along with Regional Chairman, Brentnol Ashley and Regional Vice Chairman, Annansha Peters handed over the equipment to Toshao of Hotoquai, Owen Singh.
The handing over took place following the distribution of solar systems in the village, Wednesday afternoon.
Minister Croal reiterated that the government will continue to make the relevant interventions towards the advancement of the economy.
“Every community in the hinterland has received this, in three years. Whether it is through the Ministries of Amerindian Affairs or Agriculture, we have provided to every village…Your village must transform,” Minister Croal underscored.
He added that government is investing heavily in the agriculture sector to further maximise food production.
To date, some 170 tractors and trailers have been distributed by the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs to Amerindian communities.
Notably, an investment of $4.1 million was injected to provide Hotoquai with 68 solar panels, on Wednesday.
Through funds from the expanded Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030, the community received $18 million to embark on developmental projects.
Meanwhile, the regional chairman encouraged the residents to apply for the community health workers (CHWs) training programme to improve primary health care services in the community.
“In the next batch of community health workers to be trained, we will seek to train two additional persons from Hotoquai to work here at the community health post there,” Ashley noted.
He also highlighted that by the first half of 2024, the health post will be fully staffed with sufficient CHWs to serve the community.