President Irfaan Ali yesterday commissioned the newly constructed farm-to-market road located in Number 58 Village, Coren-tyne, which will open up thousands of acres of land to farmers and residents of Region Six.
The road is 6.4 kilometres and was completed with asphaltic concrete.
President Ali said that the road is not an accomplishment of the government but rather of the people who placed their trust in the administration. “All of us together will benefit from this infrastructure, all of us together will be uplifted from this infrastructure.”
The project, he stressed, is not just about a road but is part of the large infrastructure plan which will lead all the way to the Canje Creek and in totality will open up over 50,000 acres of land for production.
He added, “We are not sleeping, we are wide awake and walking into the future with a strategy, with a focus, a focus on improving our productive capacity, on making the right investment that will broaden our economic base, that will improve and expand prosperity, that will create new jobs, that will create a new wave of capital investments, that will support the expansion of our economy and the growth and development of our people.”
According to the president, launch pads will be built in the region where tractors can go and wash off before they access the road. “We have to have these frank and honest conversations if we are to advance” as a society and country, he noted.
He added that more than 500 roads are being done presently in Region Six.
Ali told the gathering that the method of agriculture must be resilient to mitigate against the consequences of climate change, stressing that the design for the four Good Hope-like canals in the region has been completed. And in terms of human resources he suggested that a strategy be developed for farmers to educate them on the best practices and options to increase production or shift production into areas that will see high yield.
The president thanked everyone who played a part in ensuring that the project came to a successful completion. He acknowledged that he puts a lot of pressure on the country’s engineering department which is operating at a record pace despite the shortage of materials worldwide. “What we are doing here is defying the odds in many instances,” he asserted. He pointed out that there is a lot of work which goes on behind the scenes to ensure that the supply chain is managed and projects are carried out.
Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill who was also at the commissioning disclosed, that $1.18 billion has been expended on the road so far. He revealed that after the decision was taken to have the road done, several consultations were held as there were opinions as to which dam was to be done. “I am happy this afternoon that we are no longer talking, that we are opening the road.”
According to Edghill, an engineering technology never before used in Guyana was employed and among its features are the three layers inclusive of geo cell technology.
Additionally, at the end of the road, there will be two concrete bridges to cross two canals located there.
Edghill noted that the components needed for those bridges are already in place and the contract has already been awarded at a cost of $169,701,650.
And once they can get across those canals via the bridges, finance will then be made available for Phase 2 of the road plan to move all the way down to the Canje Creek and then eventually across Canje Creek so as to open more lands allowing youths to also venture into agriculture.
Edghill then asked the residents to ensure that a way is found to get the mud off the tractors and other equipment before accessing the road.
Meanwhile, Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha who was also present at the ceremony yesterday, contended that the road would change the lives of farmers and stakeholders on the Corentyne.
Mustapha said that Guyana is leading the agriculture agenda in Caricom with the emphasis on promoting food security.
He further stressed that the government recognises the importance of the agriculture sector and will continue to put finances in place to develop the sector so as to become the breadbasket of the Caribbean.
