Agri Minister meets with Blairmont and Ithaca farmers
Georgetown, GINA, January 30, 2010
Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud, on Friday met with members of the west Berbice farming communities of Blairmont and Ithaca to discuss their general concerns, with specific attention being paid to the impact of the El Nino weather phenomenon that has been affecting cultivation since October 2009.
In the presence of Ministry staff and a large gathering of area farmers, and supported by Regional Chairman, Harrinarine Baldeo, representative of the Mahaica-Mahaicony-Abary Project (MMA), Aubrey Charles and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), Lionel Wordsworth, Minister Persaud reiterated Government’s commitment to support farmers through the climate related crisis.
Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud speaks with farmers of Ithaca and Blairmont
Noting the major efforts that Government has made and will continue to implement in the best interest of farming communities nationwide, Minister Persaud recognized that the El Nino phenomenon has resulted in water shortage, a reality that is affecting the entire country and expected to last until the end of March, with February and March generally being dry months.
He emphasized that the Administration is taking the steps necessary to bring relief, with excavators working across the country and 21 mobile pumps fully deployed, to ensure that water is distributed into all conservancies and irrigation canals. The Guyana Sugar Company (GuySuCo) is also assisting in this regard.
The Minister did caution that farmers should recognise that even inspite of efforts, and work ongoing with crop, cattle and rice farmers, and GuySuCo, the Ministry will continue to make interventions where needed but the absence of rainfall will present handicaps to the ultimate result.
Farmers raising their concerns with Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud at the Ithaca Primary School
He encouraged all present to understand that addressing the current situation is a national fight, to sustain the country and farming, and the Ministry is committed to ensuring that technical staff are traversing coastal and hinterland locations to address the situation, but communities must also cooperate and give support.
To this end, farmers must work together and share resources where available, since the impact of the phenomenon is different from the last time that Guyana faced this severe dry weather condition one decade ago, because more acreage is under cultivation, requiring more intense management. GuySuCo’s engineers will assist in the situation as much as possible.
The Ministry is also moving to enhance and expand extension services, with the rotation of all regional coordinators and extension staff, encouraging pro-activeness.
Referring to the move as a radical remake of the system, Minister Persaud posited that this would serve to supply the needs of more farmers and make use of the expertise of more Guyanese agriculture students returning from Cuba, dismantling the existing system and establishing a new one that will provide support to the Agriculture Diversification Programme that focuses on cash crops, livestock and aquaculture.
He also expressed assurance that the National Budget will support the provision of services and expansion in all sectors.
Residents and farmers of Region Five at a meeting at the Ithaca Primary School with Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud
In relation to sugar, emphasis was placed on the importance of production to ensure viability of the industry, especially in the context of the recent European Union price cut.
Charles, of the MMA indicated that the area is faced with a specific challenge, in the form of irrigating farming activities on lands that depend on rivers for irrigation from the Abary, Mahaicony and Berbice rivers, which are currently affected by spring tide and causing a high salt content in water in canals and the savannah for grazing cattle.
He encouraged the maximization and recycling of fresh water, wherever possible, in all areas. The noted that coming out of a previous meeting that the Minister had with the community there has been the construction of a heavy-duty bridge in the area and currently excavators are working to source water from the Evans canal, behind GuySuCo that will facilitate the flow of water over a three to four-mile stretch. He noted that this will benefit cattle and rice farmers.
Works are also continuing with the cleaning of drains and ensuring functionality of all sluices, especially in residential areas. Preparations for April-May rains will come after this dry season has ended.
Wordsworth indicated that the NDIA is undertaking a series of activities and interventions, and in relation to Region 5, work is being done to tap fresh water from further up-river. The Authority is working with the MMA to monitor ongoing work in the community. Further, many of the structures that are being erected to improve drainage have a dual function in the wet and dry season.
The Ministry is committed to use resources as much as possible to bring relief.
One concerned farmer, Mahesh Persaud, requested the support of the Minister in assisting the Blairmont Cash Crop Farmers with a situation of pest infestation that is affecting the cultivation of cabbages on communal land that was acquired and is currently being developed. He also requested the presence of extension officers, pesticides and motor blower, to clean and spray the area and help all farmers to work along with the group, giving advice and pesticides so that they can improve on production.
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Bartica miners, residents raise concerns with Gov’t officials
- at cordial meeting
Georgetown, GINA, January 30, 2010
In the midst of a fruitful discussion with residents and miners of Bartica, Acting Prime Minister Robert Persaud reiterated government’s position that mining will continue.
Today’s meeting allowed miners of Bartica to raise their concerns with the Acting Prime Minister, Minister of Transport and Hydraulics Robeson Benn, Adviser to the President on Community Development Odinga Lumumba, Commissioner of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) William Woolford and Commissioner of the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) James Singh.
“It has always been made clear that mining will continue. There has never been any discussion whether we should cease or reduce mining activities,” Minister Persaud clarified.
Acting Prime Minister Robert Persaud speaking with residents and miners of Bartica on mining. Also at head table are Minister of Transport and Hydraulics Robeson Benn, Adviser to the President on Community Development Odinga Lumumba, Commissioner of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) William Woolford and Commissioner of the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) James Singh
Speaking to a packed gathering at the St John the Baptist Primary School, Minister Persaud said the land use Committee set up by President Bharrat Jagdeo is one which will ensure that operations in the mining sector are sustainable and efficient.
He emphasised however that no decision has yet been made about many of the proposals dealing with mining issues such as the six-months notice period. He dispelled rumours that the notice will prohibit small miners from operating.
Representative of the Committee of Concerned Barticians Fredericks McWilfred raising his concerns during the meeting on mining
“The proposals are so being crafted that in fact… for a certain defined period, they (small miners) might be exempted, if that is agreed upon, from the six months notification,” Minister Persaud said.
All of the residents who raised concerns were given a fair chance to express themselves. Miner Simone Bruce said her concerns about the difficulties miners face were addressed to the Government on several occasions.
She lamented the state of the Cassandra Bridge which leads to Mahdia, noting that miners going that route have to divert to a more costly option. She also had concerns about continuous mining which Minister Benn assured will not be affected if the right procedures are followed.
Minister of Transport and Hydraulics Robeson Benn speaking with Bartica resident and miners on mining
“If you have a medium-scale mining permit and you identify where you want to mine, you can go and start mining and continue mining. There is nothing that will stop you from mining. What is required and what is already inherent in the laws is that you have to give notification so that under all the various stakeholders using our forest resources, we are able to ensure that the practices are sustainable,” Minister Benn said.
The Minister said he is familiar with the issues surrounding the Cassandra crossing and noted that considerations for repairs to the location are being made for this year.
He added that a significant amount of funds were identified for roads in several of the country’s mining districts and for this year money is being spent for roads in Bartica going all the way to Paruni landing and beyond. Similar works he said are earmarked for Region Ten from Linden to Kwakwani.
The most boisterous group at the meeting was the Committee of Concerned Barticians who lamented the absence of opposition support to their plight. Member Frederick Mc Wilfred made it clear that protest they plan on Monday is in no way meant to be confrontational but opposition party members will not be welcomed since “not a single opposition voice has been raised since the issue started.”
Minister Persaud noted however that the government has no intention to dissuade the residents from taking actions that will reflect a true expression of their concerns, but he advised that it be done in a lawful manner.
A section of the gathering at the meeting in Bartica with Acting President Robert Persaud on mining
He said even though the community did not invite the governmental team, the need to respond to the concerns of the community was an absolute necessity.
“Whatever policies and whatever programmes and projects that we undertake, we try to do this through a process of discussion with all stakeholders, it is the hallmark and an enduring feature of the PPP/C administration,” Minister Persaud said.
McWilfred presented his argument,about mining being shut down. However this was quelled by Minister Benn who reiterated that mining will continue.
McWilfred also said the only proposal which the miners find workable is the one which calls for a setting aside of a portion of forests specifically for mining.
The outstanding contributions of the mining sector in 2009 were highlighted by Minister Persaud who noted that despite global challenges mining held its reputation as one of the more resilient sectors. The same could not be said for rice, sugar, bauxite and tourism.
“Why would anyone attempt to hurt that? Why would any sensible government or administration want to proceed in a direction to affect a sector that is one of the more resilient sectors?” Minister Persaud said.
Government’s support to mining, the Acting Prime Minister said is reflected, among other ways in the form of duty free concessions which has amounted to about $10B.
Without such a forum, the Acting Prime Minister said a vacuum will be created where misinformation will lead to certain negative reactions that affect the wellbeing of persons in the community.
Regional Chairman Holbert Knights said the Bartica community is appreciative of the government’s acknowledgement of their concerns about mining and its importance to all the residents.
He alluded to a meeting on January 27, at which housewives attended and expressed their concerns noting that it signals the impact of the mining on all groups in the community.
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Overseas based Guyanese support Gov’t drive to modernize education sector
- set up US$300,000 learning resource centre at Cove and John Ashram
Georgetown, GINA, January 30, 2010
Government has been dedicating resources towards accelerating the advancement of information technology in its efforts to modernize the education system and as such has been implementing and fostering the establishment of learning resources centres across the country.
Other interest groups and organisations aiding the government’s drive to improve learning for all categories of Guyanese are seen as a positive initiative, one which the administration welcomes.
Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud checking out books in the library
One interest group to come on board, comprising four overseas Guyanese and an organization has extended their generosity to assist the children attending the Hindu College, at Cove and John, East Coast Demerara. Today the Zara Learning Centre, established at the Cove and John Ashram was officially opened in the presence of Minister of Education, Shaik Baksh, Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud who is performing duties of the Prime Minister and Minister within the Ministry of Health, Dr Bheri Ramsaran and the benefactors.
The benefactors with Education Minister Shaik Baksh. From left Nardeo Singh, Sylvia Sobhraj, Sarvan Budhu and Jay Sobhraj
The resource centre is an initiative of Mr. and Mrs. Jay Sobhraj, Mr. Nardeo Singh, Mr. Sarvan Budhu, and Zara Luxury Apartments and Houses, all from the United States. The centre is equipped with a library, computer graphic centre, video/audio centre, copy centre and business presentation centre. The supporters spent about US$300,000 on this venture.
Delivering the feature address, Minister Baksh noted that this venture is consistent with Government’s ideology of transforming the education system to meet the needs of a developing Guyana. He noted that over the years the education sector has been receiving the largest budgetary allocation and contributes significantly to the Gross Domestic Product.
Minister in the Ministry of Health Dr Bheri Ramsaran trying out one of the computers in the Zara Learning Resource Centre
Paramount to Government’s modernising initiative which sees the education sector working along with the 2006 Information Communication Technology Strategy is its Education Strategic Plan 2008-2013 that outlines that within the five-year period all secondary schools in Guyana will be equipped with computer laboratories.
The Minister explained that this initiative has been endorsed by President Bharrat Jagdeo who has recommended that funding for the computerisation of all secondary schools must be included in the 2010 budget.
It was further noted that within this five-year period Government will be working towards computerising at least 50% of primary schools across the country.
The computer section of the Zara learning resource centre
To accommodate this development the Government has been expanding its horizon to provide proper infrastructure. He reminded that the Guyana Telephone & Telegraph Company recently brought in a cable which will boost internet connectivity. In addition Government has commenced discussions to bring in another fiber optic cable through the Brazil route to increase the accessibility to the internet.
However, the key component of having access to technology is the human resource capacity to fully utilize the services provided. With regards to the education system the Ministry will continue its training programmes to widen the technological knowledge of teachers in the public schools and if necessary in private schools.
The Ministry has been working with Microsoft, the Commonwealth of Learning and the Commonwealth Secretariat to train teachers and over the past six months, 600 teachers have benefited, Minister Baksh said.
The library in the Zara Learning Resource centre at the Cove and John Ashram
The computers will be utilised as teaching and learning tools in schools and will see the utilization of software equipped with the necessary content that will transform the school system. He noted that the Ministry will be implementing the Success Maker in approximately 60 primary schools which will increase the learning capacity of the students.
He pledged to donate one Success Maker Tool Kit along with other learning software to the Zara Learning Centre.
He told the attendees that there are 11 learning resource centres established in hinterland regions and Government is examining the possibility of setting up more in other areas.
Meanwhile Minister Persaud in pointing to the rapid rate of technological development, said technologies are recognized to be critical to improving
quality of life, enhancing productivity and efficiencies of both the public
and private sectors, and providing a competitive advantage in many areas including agriculture, health, finance and education and tourism.
He said that Government recognizes that the telecommunications and ICT sectors will develop even more dramatically in a fully liberalized, open, competitive
market.
“As we move to encourage the development of an open market, we look also to put in place the regulations that will ensure protection for users and encourage responsible use of the services. In this regard, we are also preparing legislation to regulate electronic transactions in terms of facilitating such transactions through legal recognition of electronic signatures and of contracts entered into electronically and to provide the legal basis for electronic payments while we also provide for data protection and include provisions on electronic crimes including identity theft.”
He also addressed other significant efforts to advance and modernize the Guyanese society and economy and one project in keeping with this is “the establishment of a robust fibre optic cable backbone along the coastland from the border with Suriname in the West, all the way to the township of Anna Regina in the East, a distance of some
260 km. This fibre optic backbone will be complemented by deployment of
WiMax and EVDO technologies. This network will later be built out to
include more remote, interior locations.”
Jay Sobhraj, proprieter said that in 2007 they donated the equipment for the Ashram’s first computer centre.
In recognizing that there is need for more development, they installed more computers and created the Big Brother, Big Sister Programme to assist about 80 children to enhance their literacy skills.
Mrs Sobhraj and Nardeo Singh, another benefactor, were students of the Ashram and their contribution was seen as giving back to their alma mater.
The library is computerized and according to Singh, this would create a record of the library’s collections. In line with the books are interactive videos for easier learning.
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