Private cane farmers are key to sugar industry’s success – Agriculture Minister

 

Georgetown : Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud and a team from the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) met and engaged private cane where he noted that the contributions of private cane farmers is important to the success of the sugar industry.

 

Persaud told the farmers that the ministry has been able to work with GuySuco in assuring an adjustment of cane prices, especially for small cane farmers, adding that in terms of GuySuCo and some of the services that it offers to the farmers, the ministry has been able to facilitate ways in which to make more efficient and timely these services.
Minister Persaud also stated that the ministry has been providing input to the farmers as well as supplying them fertilizers at half price.

 

The farmers will be assisted with the maximum of $200,000 at an interest rate of 3% to facilitate the realization of their farming concerns.
“We know we have the limitation in terms of financing for small farmers and recognized that they need some sort of financial support,” Minister Persaud said.

The revolving loan also addresses issues that small cane farmers would face when they go to the banking system in terms of interest rates and collateral, he said.

 The various support mechanisms and interventions that the ministry and GuySuCo have facilitated for the farmers will be in effect until the end of 2012.