Major preparatory works have commenced in relation to canals like the one at Hope, East Coast Demerara which will be constructed in the Corentyne area to obviate the possibility of any heavy flooding.
Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha yesterday at a community meeting in Number 63 Village, Corentyne stated that the construction of the two canals will soon commence.
Last week, he told Corentyne farmers that the canals would be located in Number 51/52 villages and Manchester/Lancaster.
Yesterday, he said that “shortly you will see the construction of the high-level canals commenced. The contract has been awarded for both… So the two high-level canals that we spoke about we will see the commencement because the contracts have been awarded already, the contracts have been signed and the contractors will start the excavation of those area shortly.”
Based on information gathered, a number of contractors were awarded various sections of the project as in addition to the actual construction, major drainage works to facilitate the canals are also ongoing along with an embankment being built along the Canje Creek from Number 66 Village, Corentyne so to avoid the water from topping over into the cultivation area.
“When that (Hope-like canals) structure come into being your area here will be helped tremendously because what we will have will prevent the backland water from coming into the cultivation area and the housing area so the stress that was placed on the housing area drainage and cultivation area that will ease.”
He stressed to the farmers, “We will have direct drainage from the backlands right on to the Atlantic.”
According to Mustapha, the Hope-like canals will also act with a dual purpose since they will also “have it as reservoir which will be closer to your cultivation where you can have water pumped directly into the irrigation canals within this network… So we will have better irrigation and better drainage. And I am hoping before the end of next year we can have all these structures in place.”
Yesterday he also relayed that the farmers in the area wanted a defined location of the boundaries that will be utilized for the major canals which was done, “and works have already commenced on the construction of the embankment from Number 66 to Canje”, he noted.
At the Number 63 location, Mustapha said that planting materials will be made available to farmers and that NAREI will be working with cash crop farmers to develop a programme to determine the most lucrative crops to cultivate in the area.
Eight farmers’ groups from the area also received tools and other inputs to assist with their production.
Additionally, Mustapha also met with residents and farmers from Highbury Village and other surrounding communities on the East Bank of Berbice yesterday where he told them that the ministry is working with various groups across the country to host farmer’s markets so as to assist consumers with access to affordable fresh produce.
He also said that these farmers are also benefiting from agro-processing facilities to meet the growing local and regional demand for value-added commodities.
Mustapha also handed over a breeding bull, high-yielding coconut seedlings and other inputs to several farmers’ groups from within the Upper East Bank Berbice area.
