Vice President (VP) and General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo has assured farmers on the Essequibo Coast that the Government will continue to invest heavily in the agriculture sector, especially in key areas such as rice, onions, storage facilities, and farm-to-market infrastructure.

Speaking during a community outreach at the Affiance No. 1 Ballfield in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), the vice president said the Government’s vision is to shift the agricultural landscape towards more profitable and diversified production while supporting farmers with real, practical solutions.
“We’re looking at, say, growing all the onions that we consume on the Essequibo Coast… We’re going to bring in the seed and have the farmers work on that, because they can make much, much money,” the VP told the gathering.
He pointed out that Guyana cannot put everything into rice alone and that crop diversification is a key goal of the administration. However, he reaffirmed the Government’s strong support for rice producers and committed to resolving one of the industry’s long-standing challenges, which is limited storage capacity during harvesting periods.
“In the rice industry, we promise if we’re going to get this high yield, we may have to invest in trying to facilitate Government-owned ones [storage facilities], where people can rent the space, keep the paddy there… You dry it early, and you store it so that you don’t have this six-week window between cutting the paddy and getting it into the mill,” he explained.
The VP said many of the rice mills do not have adequate intake capacity, leading to bottlenecks and loss in quality for farmers.
“It’s unfair to get the private millers to invest only in greater storage just to cover that intake period. So, the state may have to invest a lot in that too,” he added.
Jagdeo further committed to the continued development of farm-to-market roads and support for cash crop production. He highlighted that the PPP/C Government has always been accessible and responsive to farmers’ concerns and that this will continue in the next term.
“Of course, continuation of help for farm-to-market roads and everything else – seed paddy and so cash crops, job creation, a lot of those things,” he said.
He also stressed the importance of creating value for farmers and ensuring they are supported not just during harvest but across the entire production cycle. The investments, he noted, will help farmers increase income and access better opportunities, especially on the Coast.
To further boost agriculture and trade, VP Jagdeo revealed that plans are underway to expand port capacity and develop a four-lane road from Charity all the way to Supenaam.
“We’d have to expand portage capacity for more vessels to come here… A four-lane road from Charity all the way to Supenaam on the Essequibo Coast… these things will open up markets and reduce transportation time,” he said.
The VP reminds the residents that under the PPP/C Government, they will always have a sympathetic ear and real support.
“You know once we’re in office, you have a sympathetic ear… Even in the tough times, we’re here,” Jagdeo stated.
Residents of Affiance and surrounding areas expressed their appreciation for the Government’s continued focus on agriculture, which remains the backbone of Region Two’s economy.