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Barbados and Guyana are already making moves to live up to commitments made during the recently concluded Agri-Forum and Investment Expo.

This, as President Dr Irfaan Ali announced that farmlands in Guyana will be allocated to Barbadian youth for food production.

While delivering the keynote address at the Barbados Agro Fest last Friday, he again underscored the importance of agriculture being critical to regional development.

He said:The relationship that we are building between Guyana and Barbados is to bring economic prosperity to both countries. We are not looking at winning in one area or creating a situation where we are carving out an area for you and an area for Guyana. That is not what we want. We want a holistic approach to this relationship so that we create economic prosperity in every sector and in everything that we do together as one country, Guyana and Barbados."

Barbadian farmers are currently participating in a mentorship programme in Guyana. According to President Ali, 50 acres of land have been allocated for young people as part of the Black Belly Sheep Project in Guyana. another 50 acres have been allocated for people with disabilities, single parents and women and 50 acres will be allocated to young people in Barbados for them to advance food production.

He said the plan is for these farms to work together in an integrated way to supply the market in Barbados.

Many Guyanese are now questioning why the President is "giving away land to foreigners" when Guyanese youth could stand to benefit.

They took to social media to express their angst.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Attorney Rickford Burke said:

Guyanese youth cannot get land in their own country because of PPP racism and political oppression. But the same PPP government is willing to give Barbadian young people land in Guyana to create a spectacle. Of course this is only to gain regional and international legitimacy and remain cozy with Barbadian Prime MinisterMia Amor Mottley. This is their part of their inducement so she can keep saying how good they are and they can try to use her image to help them sloganeer against African Guyanese outrage over their racism, apartheid governance and attempt to implement PPP East Indian supremacy.

One man posted: "I have visited Barbados and none of the farms I visited had youths working on them, mostly middle-aged men and women. If youre going to give farmlands to youths, what about the Guyanese youth. What about the youths in Albouystown, Angoys Avenue, West, East, and North Ruimveldt. Or those in Bath, Corentyne and other parts of Guyana. You travelled over 500 miles to award farmlands to youths in another country while youths in yours are unemployed, underemployed, and in need of government assistance."

"Ali is way above his head. Give the Guyanese people the land. Not all will be employed in the oil sector. Give the youths the land and use the oil money to help them with machines, drip irrigation with plastic covering and provide good roads and irrigation. Government should set up chilling facilities to help Guyanese farmers. With more airline flights to America and Canada farmers in Guyana can have a piece of the market that Dominica has. Hot peppers ,Bora, ochre.dasheen, mangoes etc," another said.

One commenter urged the Guyanese government to rethink its stance as it wasn't too long ago that its people were ill-treated by Bajans.

"Guyana govt forgot about the horrible, inhumane treatments Guyanese endured at the hands of Barbadians not too long ago. Suddenly everybody running to Guyana to reap what they didn't sow. And while it is not wrong to help, what happen to Guyanese people? Have the Guyanese youths been provided with farmlands? Or lands to raise chicken and cattle?"

Another posted: "I hope this is lease land and they are paying a monthly rent since it seems like the government believes that the Guyanese people are not worthy to develop our own land and make Guyana the food basket of the Caribbean and South America - This is a blatant slap in the Guyanese people faces - the only way to get this government OUT is to VOTE - use yall God-given rights and VOTE this government out and take BACK yall LAND - simple as that! Unbelievable!!"

"Ain't this beautiful? Let's hear the supporters shout loud and proud now. PPP all de way...Guyana is a special place on earth where everyone other than Guyanese enjoys all things special though its their country..." one woman posted.

Several people defended President Ali's announcement saying that youth in Guyana had little interest in returning to the land.

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