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A “situation room” that is being set up will function as a “command centre” for all agricultural activities in Guyana and the wider Caribbean Community (CARICOM) region.

This was revealed by Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha on Monday as he addressed the launch of the Agriculture Information System (AIS) at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

“We are working to build a situation room which will be a data centre not only for Guyana but the entire region where we will have real-time data generated for any place in the Caribbean,” Mustapha revealed.

Mustapha said the situation room will represent tremendous development for the sector.

“The situation room will enable us to anticipate challenges, respond to crises as they arise, and implement proactive measures to mitigate risks. As we look to future, I am filled with optimism for the continued growth of Guyana’s agriculture sector,” Mustapha said.

He reiterated the ambitious plan of reducing the region’s food import bill by 25 percent by 2025.

Through this venture, countries agreed to grow more food, trade more among each other and import less from extra-regional sources.

However, the impact of hurricane Beryl on the Caribbean earlier this year has been disastrous and some islands’ agriculture sector completely wiped out, resulting in a direct setback to this vision.

Last week, Mustapha said that Guyana’s agriculture sector is the backbone of the economy and has been trumping major challenges like climate change, population growth and evolving dietary needs.

At the launch of Agriculture Month 2024, Minister Mustapha said by 2025, the country would see a US$40 million reduction in importation, representing funds that can be used in other areas.

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A 29-year-old firefighter, Latoya Chu, faced seven cybercrime charges when she appeared before Senior Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Monday.

The charges relate to alleged incidents that took place between February 23 and February 26, 2024.

Chu, who is a mother of three young children aged nine, eight, and one, pleaded not guilty to the accusations. Despite not having legal representation, she was granted bail totalling $350,000.

The charges allege that Chu used a computer system to circulate false and damaging information about several senior members of the Guyana Fire Service (GFS).

The individuals named in the charges include Chief Fire Officer Gregory Wickham, Deputy Chief Fire Officer Dwayne Scotland, four female firefighters, and an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).

The Police prosecutor stated that Chu is believed to have operated a fake Facebook profile through which she posted defamatory comments aimed at the complainants.

These posts were eventually flagged, bringing the matter to the attention of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which then initiated an investigation.

Following her arrest, Chu’s mobile phone was seized, and an analysis of the device purportedly confirmed that she had created the fake profile responsible for the posts.

When questioned by authorities, Chu reportedly chose to remain silent.

The prosecutor did not oppose bail, and Chu was granted bail at $50,000 per charge, with a total of $350,000 required.

Her next court appearance is scheduled for November 18, 2024.

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Guyanese law students Sherry Ann Hinds and Sheneza Clarke both achieved outstanding success at the Hugh Wooding Law School’s annual graduation ceremony, held last Saturday.

The Trinidad-based institution presented 213 students from across the Caribbean with the Legal Education Certificate, following two years of rigorous legal training.

Among the graduates, only three students received certificates of merit for achieving at least nine ‘A’ grades out of 11 courses offered.

Remarkably, two of these exceptional students, Hinds and Clarke, hailed from Guyana.

Sherry Ann Hinds was awarded the prestigious Guyana Government Prize for the overall best performance by a student from Guyana. In addition to this top honour, she received several other prizes for her exceptional academic achievements, including:

• The Council of Legal Education Most Outstanding Year 1 Student Prize
• The Book Specialist First-Year Student Prize
• The Mervyn Campbell Law of Remedies Prize
• The Chairman’s Prize for excellence in Evidence and Forensic Medicine, Law of Remedies, and Civil Procedure and Practice II
• The Council of Legal Education Prize for the Most Outstanding Student over the course of the two-year programme.

Sheneza Clarke, another standout student from Guyana, also received a certificate of merit for her remarkable academic performance. Clarke’s achievements include several prestigious prizes, such as:

• The Book Specialist Prize for Second Outstanding Year II Student
• The Cameron and Shepherd Prize for Best Performance in Civil Procedure and Practice I and Civil Procedure and Practice II by a Guyanese student
• The Chief Justice Ian N. Chang S.C., C.C.H. Memorial Prize for Best Performance in Civil Procedure and Practice
• The Fitzwilliams Stone, Furness-Smith & Morgan Prize for Best Performance in Civil Procedure and Practice II
• The Miles Greeves Fitzpatricks S.C. Prize for Best Performance in Legal Aid by a Guyanese graduating student.

In a statement, the Guyana Jurisdictional Committee has extended its heartfelt congratulations to both Hinds and Clarke, as well as to the entire Guyanese cohort of the Class of 2024.

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President Dr. Irfaan Ali is set to address the National Assembly this Thursday, October 10, at a sitting at 10:00hrs, marking his second address to Parliament since taking office.

The address, confirmed through the official Order Paper for the 86th Sitting of the 12th Parliament of Guyana, also confirms the return of the legislative body after a recess.

Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir, will temporarily suspend the sitting to receive President Ali, who is expected to arrive in full ceremonial style.

A variety of dignitaries are expected to attend, including members of the Joint Services, the Diplomatic Corps, Heads of Governmental Agencies, and representatives from civil society.

While the Parliament or Government have not disclosed specific details regarding the content of President Ali’s address, Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo hinted at a major focus on the rising cost of living in the country.

Speaking at a press conference in September, Dr. Jagdeo indicated that President Ali would outline new measures aimed at alleviating the financial burden on Guyanese citizens.

“We have a number of ideas, and the President will speak at the opening of Parliament,” Dr. Jagdeo said, responding to questions about the $7 billion allocated in the 2024 National Budget to address inflation and rising costs.

He said then that while the funds are available within the budget, they have not yet been fully utilised for specific cost-of-living interventions.

In 2022 and 2023, similar efforts saw $5 billion allocated annually to provide relief from the escalating cost of living.

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A state-of-the-art soil chemical services laboratory was commissioned on Monday at the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara.

The $100 million rehabilitated facility consists of cutting-edge technological equipment to revitalise soil management and improve crop yield within the country.

The initiative was funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) through the Sustainable Agricultural Development Programme (SADP).

Farmers will be the key beneficiaries of the lab. It will help them to determine what type of crop to plant and accurately recommend the type of soil that would yield optimum growth.

Importantly, the laboratory provides the opportunity for Guyanese to adapt to modern and sustainable farming methods.

During the commissioning ceremony, Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, stressed that the facility will contribute to a further reduction of the food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025 for Guyana and the Caribbean.

“The rehabilitation of the soil laboratory today is a prime example of how innovation and technology are at the heart of our agricultural transformation…We have allocated over $57 million to completely modernise this facility,” the minister stated.

To further support the laboratory, an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) was purchased earlier in the year for $26.2 million along with other technological equipment.

An AAS detects elements in either liquid or solid samples through the application of characteristic wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation from a light source.

Director General at the Ministry of Agriculture, Madanlall Ramraj noted that “The rehabilitative centre will provide accurate soil testing services, enabling farmers to make informed decisions about fertiliser application, crop selection, and soil management practices.”

He said Guyana is committed to finding innovative ways to transform agriculture while taking advantage of emerging technology to reduce the amount of manual work that farmers and agriculture officers are required to perform.

Meanwhile, the General Manager of the Country Department of the Caribbean of IDB, Anton Edmunds, said that these initiatives are key investment priorities for the organisation.

“A primary focus of our investments is to enhance Guyana’s agricultural research and extension system. This is crucial for supporting farmers and achieving the national and regional food security goal,”Edmunds sai (Republished from the Department of Public Information)

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The Agriculture Information System (AIS) was launched on Monday, marking a pivotal shift in improving the sector through technology.

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, at the launch of the system at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, emphasised the need to embrace technology to improve services and develop a better data system.

The system offers several components including a farm register module, that will create a comprehensive database of farmers, including biodata and contact details. It also provides georeferencing of farms, a farm profile, and a survey module for creating and processing farm surveys. Other components include the core, extension module, and survey module.

Minister Mustapha further said that the AIS will revolutionise how the ministry collects, manages, and use agriculture data. The system will also address challenges with data collection and allow extension officers to operate more efficiently.

Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha at the launch of the new system (Photo: MoA/ October 7, 2024)

“We can know who are in the livestock industry, who are in cash crop, and fruits and vegetable or who are in the rice sector, the fishing sector. So, what this will do, this will help us first of all to know those persons who are in the various sectors, and it will help us to plan,” Mustapha said.

He revealed that the AIS is not a standalone project but will be complemented by AIS hubs located in 8 of the 10 administrative regions.

“These hubs will serve as collaborative spaces for extension officers fully equipped with modern office facilities, internet and computers, extension officers will also be equipped with tablets so that we can real-time data,” Mustapha said.

Developed by Intellect Storm, the AIS tracks the support or assistance received by farmers, including interactions with extension officers and records of which officers visited a farmer. CEO of Intellect Storm, Rowen Willabus said the system will allow for real-time data gathering.

“We have what we call behind the scenes stages of growth for every item so by knowing the stages and knowing when something is on the farm, the system will automatically tell you when it moves into harvest or when it is ready for reaping,” Willabus explained.

The project was funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). IDB’s General Manager for the Caribbean Anton Edmunds during brief remarks reiterated that the launch of the system also supports economic prospects.

“This initiative highlights the promising trajectory of Guyana’s agricultural sector towards modernisation, increased productivity and sustainable development. The AIS is a testament to what can be achieved through collaboration and shared vision,” Edmunds said highlighting the importance of food security in the region.

The launch of the AIS aims to drive efficiency, boost productivity, and streamline the Ministry’s internal processes. Training has already begun for extension officers.

The AIS will only be used internally at the ministry but in the future, it will be made available to farmers.

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Five men accused of the abduction of Joshua David will be detained in custody for a further 72 hours after investigators successfully managed to obtain extensions for their detention on Monday.

The five men surrendered to the Brickdam Police Station, Georgetown on Friday.

They are: Aaron Alleyne called ‘Cats’, Wayne Barker, Damion Barlow, Dwayne Griffith and Daventai Mars.

On Monday, the standard 72-hour Police detention period for these men would have expired.

Two charged, five others surrender in abduction of Joshua David

As Police keep the men in custody and hope to get more information on the abduction of David, the file for the investigation was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice.

On Friday last, two other suspects – Alpha Poole, 35 of Stanley Place, Kitty, Georgetown and Osafo Peters, 28 of William Street, Kitty, Georgetown were remanded to prison.

It is alleged that on September 26, 2024, at Main Street, Georgetown, while in the company of others, Poole and Peters abducted David, with the intent of secretly and wrongfully confining him.

The men were not required to plead to the charge and were remanded to prison. The case was adjourned to October 11, 2024.

Before the men were taken to court on Friday, a legal dispute unfolded when attorney Everton Lammy-Singh informed the court of an order that was issued for both men to be immediately released from custody as they were kept in custody beyond their 72-hour detention period.

The order was handed down by High Court Judge Nichole Pierre. She ruled in favour of their release, citing the breach of legal protocol.
Singh-Lammy had told the News Room that he would be returning to the High Court to seek contempt charges.

Known fondly ‘Bricks’ among his peers, David was abducted outside a Main Street, Georgetown restaurant where he had gone to purchase food on the evening of September 26.

Acting on information, the Police began their search for David days after his abduction in the Buxton and Annandale backlands. However, three days of searches ended in futility as nothing of evidential value was found.

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The armed bandit who robbed a New Amsterdam, Berbice jewellery and pawnshop on Monday died from a gunshot wound to his chest.

Police Headquarters reported that two men wearing hoodies and armed with handguns went to a jewellery store and pawnshop at Trinity Street and Main Road, New Amsterdam at about 10:20 hrs.

At the premises, they reportedly robbed a customer; that customer was shot to the right leg.

Bandit shot dead during robbery at New Amsterdam 

Police reported that the business owner, a licensed firearm holder, returned fire. As such, the two bandits fled the scene with the stolen items.

The men reportedly ran along Trinity Street, into the New Amsterdam Primary School compound. One of the men was later found lying face up with a single gunshot wound to the chest.

A Taurus 9MM handgun and a magazine containing live rounds along with some of the items that were stolen from the business were found in the dead man’s pockets and on the ground.

Investigations are continuing.

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After having had to wait 11 years for a maiden CPL trophy, Guyana Amazon Warriors are now just one step away from winning back-to-back titles.

Imran Tahir was targeted when he was appointed Amazon Warriors’ captain last season at 44 – Tahir said “everyone was sending jokes” about it – and having been retained as captain this year, he will be looking to lead Amazon Warriors to glory once again, in front of their home fans, in Providence.

At 45, Tahir became the first overseas bowler to 100 wickets in the CPL and continues to rock the league with his variations and celebrations.

He had joined Amazon Warriors in 2018 and has remained with the side for seven seasons, which is quite rare in the cutthroat world of franchise T20 cricket.

Midway through this season, Tahir suffered an injury, but he recovered to forge a potent partnership with Gudakesh Motie, the local left-arm finger-spinner, and Moeen Ali, the English off-spinner.

The trio has been hard to get away, especially on the spin-friendly surfaces in Providence.

Amazon Warriors have also loaded their side with spin-hitters like Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope and Moeen.

After not playing a single game in the 2024 T20 World Cup, Hetmyer has reminded the world of his T20 pedigree, hitting 391 runs in 12 innings at an average of 43.44 and strike rate of 187.98 in this CPL heading into the final.

Since the start of CPL 2023, Amazon Warriors have lost just four games at home, with two of those losses coming at the hands of St Lucia Kings, including the Qualifier 1 earlier this week.

Despite losing tosses and losing key personnel – like Heinrich Klaasen even before the start of the tournament – Kings have remained a formidable force under Faf du Plessis, who, like Tahir, is a familiar face at the CPL.

At 40, du Plessis is still going strong.

This is his most prolific CPL in terms of runs – 384 runs in 11 innings at an average of 38.40 and strike rate of 148.83 – and if it culminates in a title, it could potentially raise his stocks ahead of the IPL retention deadline and player auction.

Du Plessis’ stint in CPL 2023 was cut short by a tennis-elbow injury, but he has worked his way around that this season, dovetailing well with Johnson Charles, who has reinvented himself as a 360-degree batter.

While this is the St Lucia franchise’s third CPL final, this will be du Plessis’ first – he had suffered an injury before the title clash in 2021, when they lost to St Kitts & Nevis Patriots.

However, he is used to the pressure that a final brings, having been part of Chennai Super Kings for a number of years in the IPL.

Kings’ coach Daren Sammy also has some unfinished business: in his last match as CPL captain, he lost to Trinbago Knight Riders in the 2020 final.

Can he and du Plessis upstage Amazon Warriors at their home ground and lead Kings to their first CPL title?

In the spotlight: Moeen Ali and Alzarri Joseph

Just over three months after not bowling in England’s T20 World Cup semi-final defeat to India in Providence, Moeen Ali is now on the verge of winning a title, in his first CPL stint, at the venue.

He has bagged 14 wickets in nine innings at an average of 11.35 and an economy rate of less than five.

With the bat, he has floated up and down the order and in the qualifier 2, he scored an unbeaten 44 to put Amazon Warriors in the final.

In another spin-dominated CPL, Alzarri Joseph is the most successful fast bowler with 15 wickets in 11 innings.

His ability to hit hard lengths and generate extra bounce have served him well, and on potentially slow surfaces in Guyana, he could take the conditions out of the equation and provide a point of difference to Kings’ attack.

Du Plessis, too, trusts Alzarri to bowl the tough overs, having also worked with him at the SA20 (Joburg Super Kings) and IPL (Royal Challengers Bengaluru).

Team news: Who will open the batting for GAW?

Since the start of CPL 2023, Amazon Warriors have used 14 openers with only Rahmanullah Guraz and Saim Ayub, who has missed this season for national duty, getting more than five innings each at the top.

It remains to be seen if Moeen will open alongside Gurbaz again in the final on Sunday. Amazon Warriors will also have to make a choice between the fingerspin of Kevin Sinclair and the pace of Shamar Joseph.

Guyana Amazon Warriors (probable): 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz, 2 Moeen Ali, 3 Shai Hope (wk), 4 Shimron Hetmyer, 5 Romario Shepherd, 6 Keemo Paul, 7 Dwaine Pretorius, 8 Raymon Reiffer, 9 Kevin Sinclair/Shamar Joseph, 10 Gudakesh Motie, 11 Imran Tahir (capt)

Will Kings stick with Johann Jeremiah, who had made his CPL debut in Qualifier 1, or will they go back to Shadrack Descarte?

St Lucia Kings (probable): 1 Faf du Plessis (capt), 2 Johnson Charles, 3 Roston Chase, 4 Ackeem Auguste, 5 Tim Seifert (wk), 6 David Wiese, 7 Johann Jeremiah/Shadrack Descarte, 8 Matthew Forde, 9 Alzarri Joseph, 10 Khary Pierre, 11 Noor Ahmad (ESPNcricinfo)

 

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