Some 21 Amerindian villages will benefit from shade houses to boost food production, as the government advances an aggressive agriculture programme to boost production nationally, as part of efforts to cut the Caribbean’s huge food import bill.
It also aims to make the Amerindian villages more food secure.
In 2022, President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali announced a $3.1 billion supplementary fund, following vigorous discussions with leaders at the last National Toshaos’ Council (NTC) Conference.
The leaders were tasked with identifying priority areas and agriculture was one of the core issues. Funds of over $3 billion cater for the procurement of shade houses for villages that have listed agriculture as a priority.
Minister, Pauline Sukhai during an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI) recently explained that the communities benefitting would have requested the shade houses.
“We have two, one request came in from Monkey Mountain and one from Kurukabaru and in Region One, we have five: Hosororo, Barabina and Canal Bank,” she noted.
These are just some of the few villages that will be benefitting from the shade houses, which are currently in the procurement stage at the Amerindian Affairs Ministry.
The new agriculture method will change the way it is historically done in the Amerindian villages and according to the minister, developing and using new technologies in the sector is imperative.
“Amerindians are most likely to farm very far away from their homes, where they can find lands that are rich to them. The shade houses can be located in any part of the village, close by and so it will take a lot out of the time that is spent walking to farms,” the minister explained.
The government is also rolling out an innovative agriculture programme that is intended to bolster the agriculture sector locally, by incorporating more youths in the sector.
Under the programme, shade houses will be constructed in various parts of the country, providing employment opportunities. Overall, the aim is to make Guyana self-sufficient and by extension, CARICOM to depend less on imported foods by growing their own food.