Foster Cummings visits Guyana

MINISTER of Youth Development and National Service Foster Cummings, together with ministers in the Ministry of Agriculture Avinash Singh and Nigel De Freitas, is visiting Guyana.

A statement from his ministry on Tuesday said the aim of the visit was bilateral talks on co-operation in youth and agriculture.

The ministers were accompanied by entomologist Roshnie Ramsingh, special adviser to the Prime Minister on agriculture Dr John Alleyne; assistant vice president of the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) Prof Marlon Knights; and Youth Agricultural Homestead Programme (YAHP) co-ordinator Gachelle Gilkes-Edwards.

The YAHP will give young people 18-35 years training, technical support and land to get into farming, said a statement on the website of the Ministry of Youth Development and National Service.

On Tuesday the team paid a courtesy call on Guyana’s Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha.

From June 26-30, the contingent will attend a series of meetings and visit key agro-processing facilities and agricultural projects.

This visit to Guyana follows the signing of a MOU on May 22 among Caricom heads to strengthen the food-supply chain across the region.

Before this, the Governments of TT and Guyana had concluded a framework agreement on the deepening of bilateral co-operation, a trade protocol on fresh agricultural produce and forest products, and an MOU on co-operation in food security.

The team is due back in TT on July 1.

During Cummings’ absence, Sport Minister Shamfa Cudjoe will act in his ministerial post, in addition to her own portfolio.