Processing facility for Bonasika Creek - President Ali

President Dr. Irfaan Ali on Tuesday announced that a processing facility would be built at Bonasika Creek to support farmers in enhancing their production of ginger and other vegetables.

The announcement comes on the heels of a high volume of ginger production in the community and the challenge of finding markets. President Ali said the community, which has accelerated ginger production in recent years, has been able to produce 240,000 tonnes of ginger annually.

“We are going to build in this area a processing facility so we can take the fresh ginger, dry it and crush it. It will extend the storage time from weeks to months and access higher value markets.”

During an outreach to the Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) community, the Head of State also told residents of Lower and Upper Bonasika Creek and neighbouring villages that the intention is to create a production system that integrates all communities in the area to form a “processing hub.”

He stressed that these measures would enable people to go beyond the traditional methods of farming and food production, thereby building and creating wealth.

“The conversation is changing now. It is no longer about only producing food. It is how we now translate production into storage, add transportation to it, create higher value, and access more markets.”

The President said the integration of communities in food production is integral for “large-scale production.” He noted that the construction of the facility will support the government’s vision for beyond 2025 and the future economic growth of the community.

The Head of State disclosed that he was particularly pleased with the way the community has been using investments in agriculture to its advantage.

“You are making use of the investment we're making, and we are proud of this. But we have to triple this production, and we are going to support you in tripling this production,” he said to a loud applause from residents.

Through agricultural support, including drainage and irrigation, the small riverain community has been able to produce a high volume of fruits, cash crops, and tubers. Over the last few years, close to $1 billion has been spent on drainage and irrigation projects in the community to support over 300 farmers.

“I know you have produced about 50 tonnes of bananas, more than 200,000 pounds of pumpkin and in cassava and other kinds of provision, you have produced more than 120 tonnes […] We want to be able to move to large-scale production here,” the President asserted.