President Ali wants Batavia to grow more food, supply nearby mining camps

President Dr. Irfaan Ali believes that Batavia can potentially become an agricultural hub growing enough food for its residents and to supply nearby mining camps.

The President, during an engagement with Batavia residents on Thursday, said the government is scoping out what are the crops best-suited to the area’s soil type. Once that is identified, the government will support agricultural development.

Beyond that, however, he wants new lands to be developed for new agricultural ventures.

“We want to build out agriculture, the food security.

“Where is the 25 acres of land that we can use as a multi-farm area that can not only feed you but can supply the mining area too,” President Ali said.

He said growing more onions and black eye peas are considerations. He also believes that the residents can produce their own poultry and would no longer need to travel out of the community to get their meat or eggs.

“I want to see how we can further enhance things,” President Ali said.

The Guyanese Head of State has led the aggressive charge of growing more food in Guyana and across the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in recent years.

As the lead Head of Government with responsibility for food security and nutrition in CARICOM’s quasi-cabinet, he has been pushing countries to slash the region’s costly extra-regional food import bill by growing more food themselves; he is doing so through his ‘25 by 2025’ food security plan.

In Batavia, the President said some investments are already helping the community. The community has a tractor, cassava graters and a new All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV).