Agriculture important to oil, gas sector

GINA, GUYANA, Tuesday, May 16, 2017

The government continues to maintain that it will not become dependent on oil and gas when it begins producing the natural resource in 2020.

Recently, Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman assured residents of Region Two that agriculture will remain an important sector to the country.

“Rice is going to be very important, greens, even sugar so we need to continue producing and government’s plan is to ensure that we strengthen the agriculture sector so that we don’t become so dependent on the oil and gas,” Minister Trotman said during a live call in programme on RCA Channel Eight in Charity, Region Two.

For this year alone, the government will be expending $18B in the agriculture sector. The allocation will go towards improving the drainage and irrigation systems, livestock and fisheries sectors, and the promotion of hinterland agriculture among other projects.

The Minister noted that Guyana will attract hundreds, if not thousands of people who will be interested in the new oil and gas sector. It is for this reason other sectors like agriculture and services are important.

“We want to ensure we sustain who we are as a people because we are an agriculture based people, and we want to maintain that,” Minister Trotman said. The government is cognisant of the ‘resource curse’ and is working to ensure that Guyana does not end up like other countries that have succumbed to it.

Minister Trotman added that the government is aware of the importance of other sectors to the country and will ensure they are maintained with the revenues generated from oil production.

 

By: Tiffny Rhodius