FARMERS in the Jacklow area of upper Pomeroon River are loud in praise for the Government’s assistance to impolder and protect their farms from flooding. Minister within the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Alli Baksh, who visited the farming community yesterday, told scores of planters, at a public meeting, that the Government’s policy is to boost the national grow more food drive.
He said the government, through the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), is digging drains with an excavator machine in the Jacklow area and building embankments to protect farms from flooding during extreme continuous rainfall.
Baksh walked to the backlands with farmers and inspected embankments under construction and the newly dug drains.
He explained that Government is spending millions of dollars on the impoldering, so more land can be put under cultivation.
Baksh said the project will continue because he will press for more funds to drain and impolder poor farmers’ lands so they can increase cultivation.
He challenged farmers to work collectively as a group and see the programme expand for more of them to benefit.
Some three miles of drains are already dug and embankment constructed to protect several farms from floods.
One farmer, Rameshwar Singh, who accompanied the Minister to the project site, said he is now a beneficiary, after having serious problems with flooding for many years and suffering losses.
He said, in the past, water from the savannah would flow freely into his farm during the rainy season and drown all his crops.
But he is thankful that the Government has come to his rescue with the impoldering project, from which many others are also benefitting and are looking forward to bolster production.
Another farmer, Noel Stevens said he, too, is thankful to the Government for the project while Muneshwar Singh said he is very happy and pleased with the investment to impolder farms.
According to the latter Singh, he will expand cultivation on his farm.
Farmer Bibi Zuliaka said the Government has done well and she expressed thanks, as well, for the drainage system in the Jacklow area.
Accompanying the Minister on his visit were Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam) Vice-Chairman Vishnu Samaroo, Senior Agriculture Extension Officer Khandai and other officials.