More single parents to benefit from the ‘Cut Rose’ Project – Min. Mustapha

As government continues to roll out a slew of programmes aimed to enhance the livelihood of  citizens, Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha has reiterated that more single parents and women, nationwide, are set to benefit from the expansion of the lucrative  ‘Cut Rose’ project.  

This undertaking was conceptualised to create employment and generate income for single parents.  

During a recent media briefing, the agriculture minister reemphasised, “I am looking forward when this is established enough, we can move it to different parts of the regions, too…so that other single parents can get the same kind of opportunities in this project. What is more effective is that we have a lot of single parents who are purchasing these roses and they are making a profit for their livelihoods from this project. I am encouraging more of them to ensure that they engage our officers there…So that we can make the roses cheap to them for them to make a profit.”

Roses in Georgetown at established flower shops, he added, are being sold for $1,000 to about $2,000.

 “And we are selling a rose when we give to a single parent for about $300. So, you can see the amount of profit they can make. So, that is a success and we are trying to expand it.”

The minister also noted that flowers that were used at the Night of Reflection event for the fallen soldiers were produced from this project.

It raked in some $4 million in the first half of this year, with over 12,000 roses being harvested from the shade houses at the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), Mon Repos.

The ‘Cut Rose’ initiative is expected to provide job and training opportunities for single parents in particular, while simultaneously reducing rose imports by 30 per cent by the end of 2023.