Batavia to benefit from 50 hives, equipment to foster apiculture

-Itabali to get tractor while new Road to be built at Karatabo

Residents of Batavia, Region Seven will soon be able to expand apiculture as the government will be investing in 50 more hives for the indigenous community to increase its honey production.

This was a commitment made by President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali during an outreach to the region on Thursday where he listened and interacted with residents of Itabali and Karatabo at Batavia’s Community Pavilion.

“We are going to work with you by giving you guys 50 more hives within this community. We are going to train the young people and women in apiculture. We are also going to give you the 50 outfits to go with it. We are going to invest in all the equipment for the hives,” President Ali asserted.

The leader added that there is already a contract with the Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation to buy all the honey produced under this initiative.

Upon consultation with the Guyana Forestry Commission, the village is expected to benefit from a forestry association which will see a facility being built to process logs from within the community.

President Ali said that to accommodate this, consultations will also be done with one of the companies here in Georgetown to be the off-taker of these processed logs.

Moreover, Batavia has continued to benefit from the government’s investment. During the past three years over $8 million was exhausted on the village from the Presidential Grant which saw several new facilities and services being implemented.

Out of the $24 million LCDS fund, $13 million has since been disbursed to the community. Another $12 million was also disbursed to the village after distributing 130 solar systems.

“These are the things that we are doing, we are investing and then transferring the resources to you so that you can have empowerment. So, you have the opportunity to plan and implement as is necessary,” his excellency posited.

Notably too, the president pointed out that some $17 million went into the pockets of pensioners of Batavia within the last three years, while about $22 million went towards school children from the Because We Care Cash Grant.

Vast Investments were also made through other programmes within the education and health systems.

Additionally, to help improve the livelihood of residents from Itabali President Ali announced that by Monday the village will be presented with a tractor and its farming implements.

“Itabali, your main concern as I know is the tractor. You want to have that tractor and its implements so that you can empower your community. So, what I can assure you is that by Monday, your tractors, trailer, and other implements will be in Itabali,” the head-of-state assured.

Meanwhile, Karatabo and Westerbeck will soon benefit from enhanced roads. This will bring great relief to schoolchildren and farmers.

“The road from Karatabo to Westerbeck will be done this year and we will have two bridges that will be done along that road. The Regional Executive Officer Mister Ward will be in charge of that,” the country’s leader stated.

The government will also invest in a solar freezer for Karatabo since the village is popularly known for rearing and selling chicken within Region Seven.

In addition, Karatbo will be receiving eight sows and two bores to expand livestock rearing as well.

These initiatives are all expected to be implemented within 30 days in the various communities.