– Min. Mustapha delivers on promise
Fulfilling a commitment made to the members of the Plaisance Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha on Friday presented the religious body with new farming equipment and tools.
The presentation was made mere days after the church’s leadership met with the minister seeking guidance on developing a section of the compound for agricultural purposes.
Church members stated that the equipment would go a long way in launching their shade house project and encouraging self-sufficiency within the community.
Pastor Glennon Thomas expressed gratitude to the Agriculture Ministry.
“This will help to empower the youths in the church… It is a good initiative because it will help us now to grow our food, and we don’t have to depend on others for food. We want to become self-sufficient and we can supply the larger community with the food that we would produce,”he said.
One of the church’s coordinators, Alison Wilson-Hetsberger disclosed that the equipment would help to make their vision of creating a healthy, self-sufficient community a reality.
“We are happy that the ministry is committed to getting on board with us to support us in the initiative that we are embarking on. It is part of trying to be able to eat healthy, cultivating your food, and you know what you have in it when you plant. It’s not only beneficial for our members, but it will also help the community of Plaisance and its environs when we get the project started,” Wilson-Hetsberger noted.
Minister Mustapha commended the church for its proactive efforts in exploring agriculture. He encouraged other organisations to invest in agriculture.
The minister urged other communities to come forward with their requests.
“These are exciting times in the agriculture sector, where our sector is moving apace so that we can have food security and also lead the region in its food security and food agenda programme,” he said.
The PPP/C remains committed to the development of agriculture production and ensuring food security. Guyana is playing a pivotal in realising CARICOM’s vision of achieving a 25 per cent reduction in food imports by 2025.
