Private farming developer Deodat Deokilnandan of Red Wind Polder in Region Three has indicated that he would provide the $1.2M required to build a sluice to assist the irrigation of his farms which are in low lying areas behind GuySuCo fields and formerly belonged to the sugar company.
And GuySuCo’s engineers will meet today to formally address a workable time frame for the project’s completion, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.
GINA said that Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud resolved the dispute Friday by addressing a disagreement which existed between Deokilnandan and GuySuCo, which was represented by Davindra Kumar, agriculture manager at Wales Estate.
The focal issue was fair drainage and irrigation on 400 acres of land that was leased to the farmer for cultivation.
According to GINA, the farmer indicated that GuySuCo had not been maintaining the sluices, resulting in blockages which have affected the effective preparation of the land for cultivation. Kumar indicated, however, that any extra dredging would affect drainage on the highlands where the cane fields are located. He recommended that they till the land to prepare for sluices and that would take about six weeks to two months.
After open discussion, the agriculture minister facilitated a solution that entails building a bigger sluice, GINA reported, and there will be work towards finding other drainage alternatives.
Meanwhile, Persaud commended the farmer for embarking on a project to develop the low lands which is cultivated with pineapples, Malaysian rambutam, peppers, soursop, bananas, grapefruit, coconuts, cassava and catahar.
According to GINA, the farmer began the project two and a half years ago, encouraged by government and the regional office.
There are 165 acres under cultivation with 492 banana suckers and 17,000 fruit trees and a similar number of root plants. Over $160M has been invested in the development of these farms.
Persaud also recommended to ministry staff present that appropriate links be made to connect the farmer with export markets.
In another matter involving a dispute among farmers in Clay Brick Road, Canal No. 2 regarding the placement of drainage structures to regulate the flow of water, Minister Persaud called on the farmers to work together. The National Drainage and Irrigation Authority will continue to work with the farmers to resolve the issue, GINA concluded.