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By Nicole Telford- As the 2025 budgetary deadline end of season submissions for Guyana’s 10 Regional Democratic Councils budget proposals approaches, at the end of August 2024, Region 10 Chairman Deron Adams expresses little hope for a fair and equitable distribution of resources by the Government of Guyana to Region 10.
Adams in an interview with Village Voice News noted that request for infrastructure, healthcare, funding agriculture and social services assistance will be proposed by his region but noted that “the cycle of vindictiveness, spitefulness and downright evil by the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Government is unmeasured when dealing with Region #10”
The Regional Chairman said “Since October 2020, our farmers in the Berbice River continue to clamor for technical personnel to assist them with financing for the continued construction of the farm to market road from Millie’s Hideout at Linden”
Adams noted too that produce such as red peas, eddoes, nuts, plantains, corn, watermelons and pumpkins go to waste since no marketing support is being provided to farmers. He emphasised that completion of this access road needs to be placed back high on the development agenda, to ensure that our food security is empowered. The Chairman stated further “to do otherwise is to confirm that the aim is to stifle agriculture in Linden, Region #10 must be allowed to become self-sustainable in agriculture.”
In 2019, under the A Partnership For National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) government, a Regional Agriculture Programme was initiated and saw several projects being undertaken to bolster agriculture in the region. These projects included the resuscitation of the school agricultural programme, lending support to farming communities with the construction of shade houses and the holding of training sessions for farmers. One of the main agricultural projects however, was the first phase of the construction of the farm-to-market road from Millies Hide Out to farming communities in the Immediate Savannahs of Region 10. Over 100 farmers benefited from the project.
The Regional Chairman stated too that there is need for the establishment of an Agro-processing facility in Kimbia. “As we would have clearly outlined since 2020, when we visited the area. The construction of this facility is a necessary one for the community and the related agriculture sector as a whole. Hence, we call on the central government to allocate the resources for it to be completed and also place funds for the road to be continued from Millie’s Hideout to the Berbice River.”
The Regional Chairman said if central and local governments can work together the Agro processing facility in Kimbia can be a reality and unlock the full potential of region 10.
Adams also explained that at Watooka the Ministry of Agriculture through the New Guyana Marketing Corporation (New GMC) expended some $23.6 million to construct and outfit a facility and attempted to provide agro-processing services to some 600 persons in and around the region. Adams said “To date it has not become operational, it was commissioned August 16, 2023. One year ago”
The Regional Chairman said “there is a litany of failures by the PPP/C administration which continues to dogged development in Linden and to Lindeners and our region’s riverain communities.” We have now become hopeful he said so.
We are also hopeful that an NDIA office which was approved to be built in Linden would become a reality. That project was delayed due to an issue with the transfer of a piece of land from NICIL to the Ministry of Agriculture. GY$22 million was allocated in the 2023 budget but because of the issue with land transfer this project has been delayed.
