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@Tola posted:

Even places like Black Bush Polder that the Jagan government started in the 1960's is having on-going problems.  The PPP NDC been there for almost 20 years and have his own way, that is not available to others. Mustapha as replaced RO was a lost cause to the farmers, who would change meeting locations suddenly when he don't want to meet the people.

This guy has no appropriate education to be agriculture minister and farmers going to have  a hard time dealing with him, as a square peg.

So true.

Mitwah
@Mitwah posted:

So true.

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Management from the University of the West Indies and has participated in numerous agriculture related courses and seminars regionally and internationally.

Honourable Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha started his professional career working with the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) as assistant General Secretary from 1989 to 2002. He then served as a member of Parliament from 2003 to 2006. Subsequently, he was appointed Regional Chairman for Region Six and served in the capacity for five years from 2006 to 2011.

Minister Mustapha also worked at the Office of the President and later returned to serve as a Member of Parliament from 2015 to 2020.

R
Last edited by Ramakant-P
@Ramakant-P posted:

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Management from the University of the West Indies and has participated in numerous agriculture related courses and seminars regionally and internationally.

Good at making stuff up !!!

Django
@Ramakant-P posted:

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Management from the University of the West Indies and has participated in numerous agriculture related courses and seminars regionally and internationally.

Honourable Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha started his professional career working with the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) as assistant General Secretary from 1989 to 2002. He then served as a member of Parliament from 2003 to 2006. Subsequently, he was appointed Regional Chairman for Region Six and served in the capacity for five years from 2006 to 2011.

Minister Mustapha also worked at the Office of the President and later returned to serve as a Member of Parliament from 2015 to 2020.

BS... The PPP, including you, are always good at fabricating  things to make yourself  look good on a pedestal. How many Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. for the Barrat are real. Maybe doctor for nastiness, arrogance and vindictiveness, who booted their voters after an election.

Mustapha got where he is at by sucking up to the Barrat.  But one question will knock down all you BS about Mustapha : Why was he replaced as Regional Officer and the most disliked by farmers, since his days as RO ?

Tola
@Tola posted:

BS... The PPP, including you, are always good at fabricating  things to make yourself  look good on a pedestal. How many Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. for the Barrat are real. Maybe doctor for nastiness, arrogance and vindictiveness, who booted their voters after an election.

Mustapha got where he is at by sucking up to the Barrat.  But one question will knock down all you BS about Mustapha : Why was he replaced as Regional Officer and the most disliked by farmers, since his days as RO ?

Don't make me laugh.  Nothing is being fabricated just take a look at the PPP 2020 manifesto and compare it to the projects they already started. You should take your foot out of your mouth.

The PNC is blaming the PPP for its own inconsistencies.

Mustapha was promoted not replaced. He is a smart person.

R
@Tola posted:

BS... The PPP, including you, are always good at fabricating  things to make yourself  look good on a pedestal. How many Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. for the Barrat are real. Maybe doctor for nastiness, arrogance and vindictiveness, who booted their voters after an election.

Mustapha got where he is at by sucking up to the Barrat.  But one question will knock down all you BS about Mustapha : Why was he replaced as Regional Officer and the most disliked by farmers, since his days as RO ?

Get over it.  The man is well qualified.  Read my post.  This is not about me..   

R
@Ramakant-P posted:

Why can't a person receive an honorary doctorate from a recognized university?

He didn't receive an honorary degree.  His was an "earned" degree.  He never earned a degree in his life.  UWI has become a a fly by night school.

T
@Former Member posted:

They did not care about anyone's well-being besides their own. The people destroyed crops worth millions of dollars. Now that the sugar industry is about to make a comeback, GUYSUCO needs the land to cultivate a variety of canes for seeds. They are being given lots to build on. Let them try to put their shoulders on the wheel and do something for their children. Let the children have pride and dignity growing up.

Let's be honest here. Sugar is not profitable. It will be heavily subsidized as before. The current state of sugar production need to be revamped and other avenues explored. I asked a while ago why was the Ethanol Project discontinued. I am still waiting for an answer. All that being said, the government has to take care of all those workers who lost their jobs when the estates were closed. Spending money to reopen the estates just to provide jobs is not the answer. We are not trying to breed another generation of cane cutters. The younger generation should be trained in other disciplines. I hope this government had the sense to insist that locals be provided with jobs and training in the oil industry and not just in the service industry. I hope to god we don't go back to what the Chinese did. They brought everything in from China from labour to supplies and were even nice enough to provide us with loans to pay them. As for the squatters, give them lots to build on. I wouldn't put an animal to live in the conditions those people are in. I do believe however, the government should own the lots and property or have some stipulation about selling.

GTAngler

Sugar production should used to attract companies that has large usage of that commodity. It will create more jobs than the oil sector and diversified. Sugar profitability could be tied to collected taxes overall. And many jobs would be rural.

S
@seignet posted:

Sugar production should used to attract companies that has large usage of that commodity. It will create more jobs than the oil sector and diversified. Sugar profitability could be tied to collected taxes overall. And many jobs would be rural.

Absolutely. For example Demerara rum is some of the best in the world. We should at least have enough production for local sugar consumption and alcohol production but more efficiently so it doesn't have to be subsidized.

GTAngler
@GTAngler posted:

Let's be honest here. Sugar is not profitable. It will be heavily subsidized as before. The current state of sugar production need to be revamped and other avenues explored. I asked a while ago why was the Ethanol Project discontinued. I am still waiting for an answer. All that being said, the government has to take care of all those workers who lost their jobs when the estates were closed. Spending money to reopen the estates just to provide jobs is not the answer. We are not trying to breed another generation of cane cutters. The younger generation should be trained in other disciplines. I hope this government had the sense to insist that locals be provided with jobs and training in the oil industry and not just in the service industry. I hope to god we don't go back to what the Chinese did. They brought everything in from China from labour to supplies and were even nice enough to provide us with loans to pay them. As for the squatters, give them lots to build on. I wouldn't put an animal to live in the conditions those people are in. I do believe however, the government should own the lots and property or have some stipulation about selling.

.

The reason why sugar/agriculture is not profitable to export to major markets like the US and EU is because of the subsidies given to farmers there. With the newly found oil wealth Guyana can enter the big league game - subside agriculture and give the hard working people to achieve their dreams without hand outs..make them proud. America does it for its farmers...

sachin_05

The fact is that Plastic City was in existence for over 30 years. The PPP was in power for 28 of those years.  During this time, the PPP built themselves mansions, gave away state properties, oil blocks, enrich themselves and cronies, whilst these folks at Plastic City were ignored.

Mitwah
@sachin_05 posted:

The reason why sugar/agriculture is not profitable to export to major markets like the US and EU is because of the subsidies given to farmers there. With the newly found oil wealth Guyana can enter the big league game - subside agriculture and give the hard working people to achieve their dreams without hand outs..make them proud. America does it for its farmers...

no need for subsidizes. Guysuco has enough land to create MODERN INDUSTRIAL PARKS to attract food processing companies. Local employment generator. And the medium of which to generate power for sustainable uses.

I see the government wants to bring gas onshore for power generation. Perhaps, the same scenerio as GPL. The lack of proper management will make that endeavor always sick.

If we want to progress, we must get expert help and not dole key progress factors to Political Hacks. 

S
@sachin_05 posted:

The reason why sugar/agriculture is not profitable to export to major markets like the US and EU is because of the subsidies given to farmers there. With the newly found oil wealth Guyana can enter the big league game - subside agriculture and give the hard working people to achieve their dreams without hand outs..make them proud. America does it for its farmers...

The oil money can be better spent. Agriculture can work without being subsidized if efficient. Since you want to bring the United States in, why don't you compare the GDPs? Of course there is that oil money which is estimated at 50 billion over the next 30 years. That's 1.67 billion per year. I believe Guyana's GDP is just about 4 billion billion right now? Spend the money on Education, Medical services, Emergency Services, Sea Defense, Infrastructure, alternative energy etc. By the way, I didn't say give them handouts. I said we should not breed another generation of labourers and I said some of the estates should be reopened. There will be plenty of work. We may end up having to import labour.

GTAngler
@seignet posted:

also, start moving population and new industries inland to escape the rising tides.

Agree with you. It would be very costly if not time consuming to make the existing sea walls higher. New developments should be more inland. Plus the water reservoirs should be dug deeper and maintained. The new schemes should have ponds with the soil being used to build up the elevation of the housing areas. Roads should be all weather roads.

We need some sort of orderly development.

Mitwah
@Mitwah posted:

Agree with you. It would be very costly if not time consuming to make the existing sea walls higher. New developments should be more inland. Plus the water reservoirs should be dug deeper and maintained. The new schemes should have ponds with the soil being used to build up the elevation of the housing areas. Roads should be all weather roads.

We need some sort of orderly development.

We used to have working pumps on the East Coast Demerara. Are they working? I disagree on the walls though. I believe a combination of reservoirs, pumps, better drainage and improved sea defenses can work.

GTAngler

Ocean flooding over sea wall

When the tide reaches its highest level during the full moon, it is not uncommon to see flooding as large waves crest the seawalls that protect the more populated areas of Guyana. Since parts of the country are already below sea level, further sea–level rise would cause even more flooding of homes, businesses, and agricultural areas, if flood protection measures are not improved.

Key Facts

Guyana is particularly vulnerable to sea–level rise stemming from climate change, plus regional shifts in the height of the sea. Close to 80 percent of Guyana's population lives in the low–lying coastal region. In fact, some of the historically habitable sections are already below sea level.2,3,4 By 2100, scientists project a global sea level rise of 2.6 feet (80 centimeters)—and as much as 6.6 feet (2 meters), depending largely on how much we continue to overload the atmosphere with carbon.5

  • Guyana's capital city of Georgetown relies on seawalls for protection. When flooding occurs after large waves top the seawalls or heavy rains, sluice gates open for drainage. However, these gravity-fed gates can do so only when the tide is low enough.
  • The coastal plain is home to almost all the country's agricultural production—critical for both food and export. The main crops are sugar and rice.6,7
  • Sea level along the Guyana coastline is rising faster than the global average,6 which will exacerbate future increases from further global warming.

Details

With close to 80 percent of Guyana's population living in low–lying coastal regions, sea-level rise linked to global warming is dramatically increasing the likelihood that homes, businesses, hospitals, and schools will flood.2,3 Coastal portions of Guyana sit from 19.7 inches (0.5 meter) to 39.4 inches (1 meter) below sea level.4 The Ministry of Public Works already issues alerts during particularly high spring tides, so residents can take precautions against flooding.8

About 25 percent of the coast is now protected by seawalls, 60 percent by mangroves, and 15 percent by natural sandbanks.6 The seawalls have sluice gates that allow floodwaters from heavy rains and waves that crest the seawalls to drain. However, the gravity–controlled gates cannot open if the tide is not low enough. As sea level rises even more, the risk that the gates will not open also increases. Some locations already rely on pumped drainage, and more are likely to need it, raising the cost of protecting coastal development.6

Guyana's coastal plains are home to some three–quarters of the country's economic activities including almost all the country's agricultural production—critical for both food and export.4 The main crops are sugar and rice.7 Sea–level rise could devastate agricultural production if saltwater inundates fields and intrudes into the estuaries used to irrigate them.6 Saltwater from rising seas could also contaminate freshwater supplies used for drinking and other domestic and industrial activities, requiring costly treatment.6

Part of a Larger Pattern

Sea level has been rising globally since the end of the last ice age, but the rate of that rise has accelerated significantly. From 1993 to 2009, the annual rate rose to around 0.13 inch (3.4 millimeters)—nearly twice the twentieth–century average.9,10

Scientists attribute this recent acceleration to human–caused climate change. Oceans expand as they warm, and the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets and mountain glaciers add water to the oceans as they shrink.5 After looking closely at the volume of water that could come from shrinking glaciers and ice sheets, scientists project a rise of 2.6 feet (80 centimeters) by 2100—or possibly as much as 6.6 feet (2 meters), depending on the pace of heat-trapping emissions and assumptions about ice sheet behavior.5

Besides global sea–level rise, several other factors influence regional sea levels, including sinking (subsidence) or rising (uplift) of the land, circulation of the atmosphere and the ocean, and the origin of meltwater. Scientists have found that the Guyana coast is subsiding owing to groundwater extraction, soil compaction, and drainage of wetlands. From 1951 to 1979, sea level off Guyana rose at a rate some six times the global average, (0.4 inch, or 10.2 millimeters per year), around 6 times the twentieth century average or 3 times the 1993 to 2009 annual average.6,10

What the Future Holds

Without improved sea and river defenses and drainage systems, the coastal plains of coastal Guyana face serious flooding—if not complete inundation—owing to higher sea levels possible under worst case scenarios.6 Such flooding would devastate most of the population and have consequences for a large percentage of the gross domestic product.4

The government recently projected that adaptation costs could exceed $1 billion (U.S.)—a fraction of the potential losses if nothing is done. This figure includes the costs of activities ranging from building and reinforcing levees and seawalls to flood–proofing health clinics.12 For context, $1 billion (U.S.) is equivalent to about 20 percent of Guyana's GDP in 2010.7

Because of increased flooding, the Ministry of Agriculture is already encouraging residents to relocate farther inland. In 2010, the ministry opened up new land to allow traditional coastal farmers to start moving their homes and farms inland.13

Coastal mangrove fringes are particularly at risk from sea–level rise. Mangroves naturally move slowly landward as sea level rises. However, because the Guyana coast is developed, the mangroves cannot do so, and slowly die off from being pinned in place as sea level rises. This exposes more of the coast to damage from saltwater inundation, storm surges, and reduces the nursery habitat for commercial fishing.14 Curbing the human activities that overload our atmosphere with carbon—the root cause of global sea–level rise—can go a long way toward slowing the pace of change, and creating more time for coastal communities to prepare for changes ahead.

RE: Global Warming

Mitwah
@Mitwah posted:

Agree with you. It would be very costly if not time consuming to make the existing sea walls higher. New developments should be more inland. Plus the water reservoirs should be dug deeper and maintained. The new schemes should have ponds with the soil being used to build up the elevation of the housing areas. Roads should be all weather roads.

We need some sort of orderly development.

That is the key word, "ORDERLY DEVELOPMENT."

That is patience and persistence with scientific approaches.

S

With the opinions expressed here, is there anyone in this PPP government capable of undertaking it. The PNC was no better either. As it is said, "they cannot run a cake shop, the PPP on the other can only run a cake shop."

S
@GTAngler posted:

Let's be honest here. Sugar is not profitable. It will be heavily subsidized as before. The current state of sugar production need to be revamped and other avenues explored. I asked a while ago why was the Ethanol Project discontinued. I am still waiting for an answer. All that being said, the government has to take care of all those workers who lost their jobs when the estates were closed. Spending money to reopen the estates just to provide jobs is not the answer. We are not trying to breed another generation of cane cutters. The younger generation should be trained in other disciplines. I hope this government had the sense to insist that locals be provided with jobs and training in the oil industry and not just in the service industry. I hope to god we don't go back to what the Chinese did. They brought everything in from China from labour to supplies and were even nice enough to provide us with loans to pay them. As for the squatters, give them lots to build on. I wouldn't put an animal to live in the conditions those people are in. I do believe however, the government should own the lots and property or have some stipulation about selling.

Subsidies are given to the largest companies in America. Beet and cane sugar are heavily subsidized. They are called "Pork Projects". A small number of cane cutters will be required to to support the industry. Most of it will be done by machinery. Some workers will be employed to replant and maintain the fields. The fields are being reconfigured for the machines. Some workers will be employed to recover some of the canes dropped on the ground by the machines. During the rainy seasons, cane cutters will be needed to harvest the cane. As far as processing, sugar might become a by-product after alcohol, molasses, and bagasse for electricity generation. This might not b true for all factories. I know for the Skeldon factory, this was the plan.

FM

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