President Ali engages farmers to advance agricultural development plans

President Dr Irfaan Ali on Wednesday held a meeting with private cane and rice farmers from Region Six to finalise plans that will transform thousands of idle lands into large-scale production.

President Ali reminded farmers that his government has set out an ambitious agricultural development and agro-investment agenda for the next five years, and for this to happen, mechanisation, system improvement and field upgrades must advance at a faster rate.

 

The government’s role is to provide incentives, drainage, irrigation and infrastructure, and “must be linked to production and productivity. We can’t have investments being made and a means of production, which is land, is being idled,” the President said while addressing farmers at the Skeldon Sugar Factory.

Guyana will soon be partnering with the State of Roraima and the Dominican Republic to undertake a soil analysis on the soil occupied by farmers. 

“All the soil sampling will be taken from the land and a full lab analysis will be done to identify what are the best crops for the land. We are doing everything scientifically”, he said.

The president indicated a website will host the data for farmers and investors, and a representative group will work with the Agriculture Minister to map out full-scale planting within a year. 

On market options, President Ali disclosed, “DDL has said to me that they are willing to invest in a full juice plant here in Skeldon once we agree that we are going to plant citrus and other fruits… they can have that juice plant fully operational between 8 to 12 months.” 

The president noted that two proposals to re-establish a sugar factory are under review, but cautioned that this requires “a long-term pricing mechanism” to justify investor capital, alongside billions in government infrastructure.

A joint investment meeting between the government, farmers, and private partners is expected within 14 days, after soil analysis is complete, to finalise an initiative.

“This is going to be 24-hour work, 24-7, for us to get where we want to be. But we all have to be committed to this. We can’t have people who are looking at the whole land,” the head of state said. 

The president also assured rice farmers of the government’s support in addressing ongoing challenges in the industry. He told them that the government is actively working with stakeholders, including millers, investors, and the private sector, to find solutions. 

A strategy for diversification through agro-business is being proposed – that for every ten acres of rice cultivation, one acre should be allocated to high-value crops with processing potential. This, he explained, would open new markets and improve income security for farmers.

“We want rice farmers to succeed, and we will put the right structures in place to ensure that happens,” President Ali said.

Accompanying the President were the Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance Dr Ashni Singh; Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha; Minister within the Ministry, Vickash Ramkisson; Minister of Public Service and Government Efficiency and Implementation, Zulfikar Ally; and the Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Susan Rodrigues.