Petroleum revenues will be put to modernise Agri. Sector

The Government under its Green State Development Strategy (GSDS) will be using petroleum revenues to modernise the agriculture sector, President David Granger said Friday.

The President assured that agriculture will not be neglected and that food products, not petroleum, will remain a mainstay of the economy, according to a statement from the Ministry of the Presidency.

He was addressing residents of the East Berbice-Corentyne (Region Six) to observe National Tree Planting Day on Friday.

“Agro-processing will intensify during the ‘Decade’. Guyana’s petroleum revenues, inter alia, will be deployed to modernize the agricultural sector, including by adding value to primary, locally-produced fruits and vegetables, in accordance with the ‘Strategy’,” the Head of State said, according to the statement.

Oil production is slated to begin in the first quarter of 2020 as the country celebrates its 50th Republic Anniversary. Also on March 2, 2020, the country’s citizens will be going to the polls to elect a Government of their choice.

The President noted that the Government, notwithstanding the advances made over the past four years, recognizes the need to catalyse the agro-industrial sector.

“It will offer fiscal incentives for investors interested in promoting export-oriented agro-processing,” he said.

President Granger said the agro-processing of fruits will allow everyone to benefit from trees without having to cut them down, adding that the Regions should encourage the generation of gardens, greenhouses and orchards to grow more trees, the Ministry of the Presidency reported.

In the city, the President said the Botanical Gardens will be modified to contain varieties of every tree found in Guyana.

“Children must be able to go and see what a greenheart tree is, what a crabwood tree is, what a purpleheart tree is…not just mango and guava [trees]. They have a thousand species of trees to learn about,” he told those gathered.

As petroleum production begins, the President will also be launching a Decade of Development which focuses on Education to push the development of Guyana.