– Jagdeo announces hemp and shrimp production for estates
The residents of Region 6, East Berbice, Corentyne are today fearful of more economic hardships, as the Jagdeo conceptualized Skeldon Sugar Factor faces a downsizing of its operation as the industry now focuses on hemp and shrimp cultivation.
This announcement was made by the installed Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on Monday during a People’s Progressive Party outreach to the Region. The regime in recent weeks has been on a massive ‘meet and greet’ exercise throughout the country, in what some have described as an electioneering campaign, considering Election Petitions 88 and 99 which challenge the legitimacy of the Government, are nearing finality in the judicial system.
Speaking to residents at Line Path, Skeldon, Corentyne, Jagdeo admitted that only 400 of the 1,700 retrenched sugar workers at Skeldon Estate have been rehired temporarily. “We have had a very, very hard time reopening here and generating jobs,” he admitted after promising to reopen all closed Sugar Estates if elected to Government.
The former President told residents that he sees major potential in growing shrimp for export at Skeldon. Not just growing but processing it at the facility. He is also pushing for the production of hemp which he believes would open up another revenue and employment-generating activity in the Region.
The APNU+AFC Government while in office was pushing similar initiatives aimed a diversifying the Sugar industry, bringing it back to profitability. One such effort was the planting of rice at the Wales Estate. However, all attempts by the APNU+AFC government to transform GUYSUCO and save the sugar industry from collapse were vigorously rejected by the then PPP Opposition and the Guyana Agriculture and General Workers Union (GAWU).
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