Forestry boost for Ituni, Kwakwani
Guyana Chronicle
March 18, 2007
FORESTRY activities will be boosted in Ituni and Kwakwani with the acquisition of machinery and equipment to push value-added activities and aid in transporting forest products.
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, accompanied by Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud were yesterday in the two Region Ten communities, once dependent on mining, to commission the equipment, the Government Information Agency (GINA) said.
It said the Ituni Forestry Organisation has responsibility for a portable hydraulic mill while Kwakwani received a tractor and trailer. The latter will be used to transport forest products from the concession of the Upper Berbice Forest Producers’ Association to markets.
The assistance was granted through the Guyana Micro Projects Programme (GMPP), an initiative of the Government of Guyana and the European Union. The GMPP targets alleviation of poverty and socio-economic development of vulnerable communities and is effected with a 75 per cent contribution by the government and the European Union, and 25 per cent from the community.
The portable mill cost $11.6M while the tractor and trailer cost $8M, GINA said.
Prime Minister Hinds told the beneficiaries of Ituni that the portable mill is in keeping with the government’s thrust for sustainable forestry development and for the promotion of value-added activities. The Ituni Small Loggers Association was granted a Timber Sales Agreement in 2003 for 33,000 hectares, GINA said.
According to the agency, Mr. Hinds told them of the government’s focus on developing new and emerging sectors and of support by international agencies for these, such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations.
Residents of both communities depended on bauxite mining and when the operations closed, they were forced to seek other means of income, and turned to forestry activities.
The community was urged to focus on reducing costs to gain more income, and to ensure accountability of the mill’s operations and its maintenance, GINA said.
The Upper Berbice Forest Producers Association in Kwakwani contributes to the Community Development Programme of the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC).
Persaud said the mill “is a catalyst for progress” and assured the residents that GFC will continue to build capacity of small loggers associations to maximize benefits for all involved, GINA reported.
It said he pointed out that the government is committed to initiatives that will promote sustainable forestry development, value-added and downstream activities.
Recently, a National Consultation was held to solicit the views of all forestry stakeholders in developing a policy paper on the export of logs. There has been growing concern that there is a need for more value- added activities in the forestry sector, GINA said.
Chairman of the GFC Board of Directors Tarchand Balgobin, other officials of the GFC, GMMP and Region Ten were at the commissioning yesterday.
GINA said there are about 20 small loggers associations across the country established under the Social Development Programme initiated by the GFC.
The programme began three years ago and has four main objectives – attainment of economic growth, alleviation of poverty, equitable geographical distribution of economic activities and diversification of the economy.
Under the programme, State Forests Permits are granted to communities to enable them to utilise the forest resources within their area in a sustainable and economic way, the agency said.