Mocha / Arcadia is hosting a successful market day event – Kaieteur News

Mocha / Arcadia is hosting a successful market day event


Home-sliced ​​garlic herbs featured at the farmer’s market day event.

The homemade chicken / ham sold at Mocha farmers market today.

Kaieteur News – Farming has long been a common feature in Mocha / Aracadia, a predominantly Afro-Guyanese community located on the east bank of Demerara, seven miles from Georgetown.
In recent years, the community has seen a marked increase in farming activities, so much so that the Mocha / Arcadia Multipurpose Society Coop and Neighborhood Democratic Council (NDC) saw it better to organize the Mocha Producer Market Day initiative to give farmers the a village where to showcase and sell their products.
The market day activity that started at 6:00 am yesterday included an extensive display of agricultural, horticultural, animal and craft products made by the villagers.
Event organizer and Mocha / Aracadia NDC Adviser, Raeburn Jones, explained that the activity was based off the need to assist farmers / producers, establish a place where they can market their products.
Jones said “over the last three years, the community has seen a significant increase in farming activities such as poultry, sheep, goat and pig production, plant nurseries, and some agricultural commodity processing.”
He said that, as a result, there was great concern about marketing the goods and having ongoing sales contacts.
The CDC Adviser said the organizers wanted to help the community’s farmers establish a market where their produce could be sold regularly and at a reasonable cost.
This, he said, will contribute to the development of sustainable livelihoods, the creation of economic wealth, as well as bringing positive recognition to the Mocha community.
“For these reasons, we have planned the Mocha Market Day 2020,” he said of the activity that took place at the 2nd Mocha Main Access Road Bridge opposite the large tree. ”Jones noted that with all the COVID-19 protocols observed, the event was a success.
He said that participation and turnout was just as satisfying.

Mocha NDC Organizer and Advisor, Raeburn Jones

“We even had a lot of support from people outside the village. The quality of the products, art and craft items impressed many. The meat on sale was the big hit, it sold out quickly, ”he said, adding that the general feedback is that market day is becoming a common feature of the village.
The Mocha / Arcadia farmer’s market initiative was widely advertised with the support of the International Decade to the Assembly of African-American Persons – Guyana (IPADA-G) and Mocha / Arcadia NDC.
During a previous interview on the National Communication Network, an alien village and Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) agricultural extension officer, Mitzie Barker had stated that the ultimate objective is to create sustainable economic activity for villagers.
“We have been encouraging farmers to grow more but we know that with increased yields they will need to find a market for them. The purpose of this event is to allow producers to sell their locally processed and locally processed items, ”he said.
“Pepper sauce, garlic paste, dried seasonings and even homemade ice cream will be on sale. It’s a versatile event and we hope it could become a regular feature, ”said Barker about the event showcasing the products of more than forty villagers, some of whom praised the creation of the platform to sell their wares.
Pamela Bowman, a Mocha resident, has been farming for more than a decade. She told Kaieteur News that on Saturday, before the event, her products at the farmers’ market include packaged and labeled pepper sauces and other items.
“I have the smooth and heavy pepper sauce I made from scratch. I grow my own peppers and seasonings, ”Bowman said of the organically produced items.
He expressed hope that the event would be a success, in the sense that many villagers and people from neighboring communities would come out to support.
Shellene Jones, another event participant, told Kaieteur News that she ventured into agro-processing seven years ago.
Jones’ homemade chicken ham was a featured item at Mocha’s farmer / producer sale event
She noted that in her opinion the initiative could help raise awareness of the availability of products and services in the village and beyond.
“I’ve been doing this since 2012 and many people in the village still don’t know I’m selling chicken. So the market day auction will help people know what is available to them here in the village, ”he added.

Some of the crafts on display at Mocha / Arcadia farmers market.



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