Connecting Guyana – ‘one farming community at a time’
— MOPT continuing to link communities
— application available for farmers to showcase produce online
DPI, Guyana, Friday, July 12, 2019
“For too long as a country, we have not established a level playing field, and this government says that everybody must be able to enjoy the benefits this country has.”
This was the message of Minister of Public Telecommunications, the Honourable Catherine Hughes to the residents who flocked to the Kuru Kururu Market Annex in the village of Kuru Kururu along the Linden Soesdyke Highway.
The residents were gathered for a meeting with their elected government officials so that they would be able to voice their concerns. Minister Hughes was joined by Minister of Agriculture, the Honourable Noel Holder, Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs, the Honourable Sydney Allicock and Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr. the Honourable George Norton.
Minister Hughes explained that while seven years ago, the previous administration failed to connect the people of Kuru Kururu, the APNU+AFC Coalition Government has already begun to work towards connecting the community.
“We have already purchased 50 mini satellite dishes because there are communities along here where the only way, we can bring a better signal to you is to spend the money and put the dishes up so that we can bring the internet to you.”
This bodes well for the small farming community, as the Ministry of Public Telecommunications, which will be taking its mobile application to the area to allow farmers to post their available produce online, and to be able to view market prices across Guyana. The app, which was officially launched in Region 6 during a government outreach, will be able to connect farmers and suppliers with potential buyers not only in Guyana but across the world as it is accessible from anywhere in the world.
The idea behind the app is that by seeing what is in demand, farmers will be able to enter into contracts to supply produce, while also being able to display produce that they already have on hand while being able to barter for the best prices.
“This is an app that is going to be on the phones called Farmers Market Gy, and I think there are people here that would be interested, cash crop farmers, eddo producers, that would be interested in being part of this pilot,” Minister Hughes said.
With the merger of Agriculture and Technology, it is hoped that this could be a way of bringing young people into the agriculture sector.
Meanwhile, in his opening remarks, Minister Holder highlighted the tremendous work that has been done by the government, especially with regards to drainage and irrigation along the coastland.
“Draining on the coast has been lowered from 12 hours per day to just under 10 hours a day, and by year-end, flooding in Georgetown will be a thing of the past, save for localized flooding which occurs from overly excessive rainfall… Since this government has come into power, we have been making the highest rice production ever, over 700,000 tonnes, and while the opposition seeks to attack the government on other things, they cannot target rice.”
These and several other developmental projects in the pipeline were highlighted by the Honourable Minister of Agriculture, with every announcement being greeted with loud applause from the people.
The meeting in Kuru Kururu was but one of several community meetings being carried out by the government in various communities along the East Bank and Coast of the Demerara, allowing for the residents in these targeted communities to come out and speak on matters affecting them.