A concerted effort has been launched by the Ministry of Agriculture to promote investments opportunities in Guyana’s intermediate savannahs. This is part of a two-pronged approach aimed at dealing with climate change and its effects on agriculture here.
Agriculture Minister Noel Holder and a team of officials from key agencies, made a presentation to the Regional Democratic Council of Region 10, Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice, outlining the scope of agriculture potential available for development in the region’s savannah lands.
The recent meeting in session
In his preamble prior to a PowerPoint presentation on the intermediate savannahs and the opportunities that await investors, Minister Holder stated that while mitigation doesn’t only assist in the improvement of the country’s economy, it also prevents economic losses.
“In this regard, the hinterland and Intermediate Savannahs of Region 10 have been earmarked as Guyana’s new agricultural frontier, as the country continues its quest to narrow the gap between the coastland and hinterland regions,” the Minister said.
To ensure the success of the model for the agricultural development of the Intermediate Savannahs, good planning and governance are necessary for both social and economic development. To this end, a number of studies have already been effected and incorporated in a detailed plan to make the development of the Intermediate Savannahs a feasible and ‘bankable’ proposition. Among those are: The preparation of a detailed Land Use Plan; A Road, River and Air Transport Plan; A Water Supply and Distribution Plan; An Institutional, Organisational and Management Framework; A Social Services Plan; A Physical Infrastructure Plan; A plan for Agricultural Support Services; An Agro-Industrial Plan; An Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Protection Plan and a study of the area’s Eco-Tourism potential.