Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud, speaking on the second day of this year’s budget debate in the National Assembly, has said that the Gy$161.4B budget caters for the diversifying and building of a new agriculture sector.
“Agriculture continues to be an important player in our economic drive, and this year’s budget provides for an increased amount of resources for diversifying and building a new sector to accommodate the transformation taking place,” the minister said.
Minister Persaud noted that emphasis would be placed in all areas, including in the rice and sugar industries. “Gy$750 million would be going towards addressing issues of remuneration at GuySuCo, and this is important in going forward”, he declared.
“Managing industrial relations has to be improved in our sugar industry. GuySuCo has difficulty getting numbers (workers) needed, and needs to give that (area) better attention, since there are job opportunities available,” Persaud said.
The minister also said that close to 43 per cent of GuySuCo’s spending this year would be on mechanization. The rice industry, he said, would see an expansion and increase in competitiveness of rice farmers; and he also took the opportunity to congratulate rice farmers for Guyana’s record export figure of 335,000 tonnes last year. The minister implored farmers to ensure that attention continues to be placed on value-added.
Continuing on the topic of export, Minister Persaud said that criticism was leveled against the government when it sought to penetrate the Venezuela market. “We needed to diversify our markets, because we are too dependent on European and smaller markets in the region. Government sought, and was successful in breaking into the Venezuela market. We must be in a position to expand project range, and we will continue to seek new markets and at the same time continue with the diversification of the rice industry, with emphasis (being placed) on value-added.”
Persaud said that government would also continue to pursue large scale agriculture while supporting small farmers. “Condition may not be perfect, but priorities are right in relation to putting systems in place, such as drainage and irrigation, pest and disease control, and financing for large and small scale farmers. We are geared to deal with inadequacies in the system. This government seeks to find solutions to problems. We will not come and say it is a paradise, but this government is one of vision.”
Meanwhile, PNC/R parliamentarian Amna Ally said that she was not impressed with the 2011 budget since more should have been allocated to the ordinary people.
The MP also called for more protection of children and the continued training of police officers, and that those entrusted with child protection issues be more serious about their jobs.
The Women of Worth programme also came in for criticism from the parliamentarian, since, according to Ally, a number of women are still on the waiting list to collect loans so that they could be empowered.
So far, more than 500 women have benefited from loans through the WoW Programme. However, Ally believes that better training and tools should have been given to the women in order for them to operate a successful business venture.
