GVT, Farmers Collaborate to Boost Cultivation on Corentyne Coast

September 24, 2025 — Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, and Minister of Public Service, Government Efficiency, and Implementation, Zulfikar Ally, on Monday met with cane farmers from the Corentyne Coast to advance plans for the full utilization of lands to increase agricultural productivity.

Minister Mustapha announced that government will be working with farmers to develop 35,000 acres of land for the cultivation of cane, citrus, and coconuts.

“Last week, President Ali met with a number of cane farmers from the Upper Corentyne area, and he instructed that I, along with other ministers, work with the groups. We have a number of farmers who have indicated that they are interested in returning to cane cultivation, while others expressed interest in cultivating citrus and coconuts. We’ve already begun to map out the area to do the necessary soil testing. We’ve also engaged the Private Sector to construct a juice plant so that the citrus being planted there can be extracted and processed into juices,” Minister Mustapha explained.

The announcement follows a meeting last Wednesday at the Skeldon Estate, where President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali met with cane farmers from the Upper Corentyne. The Head of State underscored the importance of linking state support to concrete results, stressing that government investments in infrastructure must be matched by tangible gains in productivity.

The initiative is expected to generate new opportunities for cane farmers while diversifying the agricultural base of the Corentyne Coast with citrus and coconut cultivation, supported by downstream processing facilities.