Some $2.5 billion will be invested to upgrade vital drainage and irrigation infrastructure in the Upper and Lower Pomeroon River regions, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha said.
This major initiative includes clearing blocked waterways through bed and drain works, as well as the deployment of pontoons and excavators to improve access and water flow.
During a recent farmers’ meeting at the Anna Regina Secondary School auditorium, Minister Mustapha underscored the economic importance of the Pomeroon region’s cash crop production.
He also reaffirmed the government’s ongoing support to farmers in the area—highlighting the distribution of fertilisers as one such measure.
“These investments in agriculture are exactly why Guyana is now recognised globally. Among 186 countries, we are being seen as a leader in agricultural development,” he stated.
The rice industry, in particular, has been doing well. Guyana produced 725,000 tonnes of rice last year, and the 2025 target has been raised to 822,000 tonnes, a testament of government’s investment in the sector.
“In 2023, when paddy prices dropped, I visited the Essequibo Coast. Farmers told us that the prices offered by millers were among the lowest in the country,” he said, pointing out that the government took swift action.
He explained that efforts to secure better prices for farmers continue. Notably, this year, the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) began purchasing paddy directly from farmers—part of a broader effort to improve incomes and ensure fair market practices.
Farmers from the Pomeroon River region—engaged in both rice and cash crop production—have welcomed the interventions, citing improvements in farming conditions and livelihoods.
