Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha on Tuesday reminded that the APNU+AFC Government led a significant decline in the agriculture sector during their 2015-2020 term in office. Delivering his presentation during the National Budget debates, he pointed out that the PPP/C Government has now restored this sector to prosperity.
“They should be the last person to speak on agriculture. They destroyed the agriculture sector in this country,” Mustapha expressed.
The Minister pointed out that under the former administration, sugar production declined by 60% from 231,071 tonnes in 2015 to 92,256 tonnes in 2019. He reminded of the increase in prices for land through the Mahaica Mahaicony Abary/Agricultural Development Association (MMA/ADA), and the loss of the Panama rice market.
After four years in government, he said the PPP/C has transformed the sector so that Guyana can take its rightful place in regional food security.
“A new era is dawned now from 2020, an era where Guyana’s credibility has been restored to the world, an era where Guyana is making its contribution to the world in terms of energy, in terms of food security and in terms of climate change. We are leading in those areas and we are being recognised around the world,” the Minister said.
“In their period, we say rigged election, we say taxation, we saw economic burden on the backs of the people, we saw a number of regressive steps were taken by the APNU+AFC,” he added.
Highlighting some of the achievements in the agriculture sector under the PPP, Mustapha said the production of brackish water shrimp increased from 10,000kg monthly to 120,000kg to earn $1.8 billion for the aquaculture industry.
He noted that the industry has also commenced producing prawns and started the marine cage culture in aquafarming.
“When we talk about the marine cage culture, many of them talked that those technology cannot come to this part of the world, that those things can only happen in Asia….we brought it here, we did the pilot test at Mashabo, Mainstay and Capoey. It was successful and we are in the process of installing another 50 cages in different interior locations” he explained.
Aside from aquaculture, the Ministry is building a hatchery and a feed mill, increasing the production of corn and soya, increased livestock by 24%, commissioning a swine abattoir, and many other investments.
“The budget is one for all Guyanese, regardless of class, ethnicity or political affiliation,” the Minister concluded.
