The Ministry of Agriculture through the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) yesterday commissioned a pump station at Cozier, Region Two.
The contract was awarded to Adamantium Holdings to the tune of $261m. The commissioning will provide drainage to over 5,000 acres of farmlands, predominantly rice and cash crops.
The commissioning of the Cozier pump station marks a significant milestone in addressing the longstanding drainage challenges faced by the community. Speaking at the commissioning of the pump station, Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha emphasized the positive transformation the agriculture sector has seen since 2020.
He said that enhanced drainage and irrigation systems have already resulted in higher crop yields, with farmers now harvesting nearly 40 bags of rice per acre.
“We will continue to make investment in this area, we are making agriculture more resilient, more competitive and we are modernizing the sector, we have another two pump stations that are being constructed at Andrews and Charity”, the Minister said.
The new pump station fulfills that promise, ensuring that cash crop farmers can now cultivate their lands without the previous worries of waterlogging and poor drainage. The minister also reaffirmed the government’s ongoing commitment to agricultural investments, focusing on making the sector more resilient to climate change and competitive internationally.
He said that there are four excavators and two pontoons in the Pomeroon River. He added that farmers will also be getting a new wharf. He pointed out that the Government has invested in the dredging of the Pomeroon River as well so that farmers can get better draft.
“We are making the investment so that farmers can produce, so if you see production increase it did not increase just so it’s because of the investment” Mustapha said.
Lionel Wordsworth, CEO of the NDIA, provided technical details on the Cozier project. The contract was awarded in March 25 2022, and the project was completed by August 30, 2024. The pump station replaces two old wooden sluice doors, which had deteriorated and could no longer withstand saltwater exposure. These have been upgraded to stainless steel doors. The new pump has the capacity to push 100 cubic feet of water per minute, ensuring adequate drainage for both residential and agricultural needs. It also provides a one-mile loam access road replacing the previous mud dam and a solar- powdered operator house.
