‘My salary is not affected’: Patterson-Yearwood says move to Agri. Ministry not a demotion

Valerie Patterson-Yearwood, the new minister responsible for rural affairs in the Ministry of Agriculture, has shrugged off suggestions that her removal from the portfolio of Housing at the Ministry of Communities meant she was demoted.

“What is demotion? My salary is not affected, my allowances…nothing is affected.

“So why would it be a demotion?

“I see it as a promotion because I am going into a new and exciting area,” she told reporters after Friday’s sitting of the National Assembly.

The Minister was recently forced to deny that she was involved in the award of a housing contract to her husband.

She said her new position is one that she would have to define herself.

“I have to actually create the policies and so on,” she stated.

“It will focus mainly on youths, empowering youths in the agriculture sector, getting them back to the farms.”

She said that outside of the emerging petroleum sector, “agriculture is the other way to go.”

The Minister noted that Guyana is often termed as the breadbasket of the Caribbean, “so our young people need to get back to the farm.”

She said there are numerous opportunities for funding for new young people to be involved in creating businesses.

“The holistic approach is the rural communities and empowering them in agriculture.

“So I am not going to be involved with sugar and rice.”