-eight Hope-like canals on cards for 2024, says Minister Mustapha

AGRICULTURE Minister Zulfikar Mustapha has expressed his satisfaction with a number of noteworthy achievements in 2023, including the commencement of construction works for 17 new pump stations.

In his last press conference for 2023, he said that the construction of the pump stations is a ‘significant achievement’ that will benefit farmers across the country.

Further, he told members of the media that the contractors have agreed to specific deadlines and he is optimistic that these will be met.

“The Liliendaal pumping station is on track. We know for a fact that that is one of our major projects, and I am very optimistic that it will reach its deadline.

I want to also say that we met with all the contractors last Thursday (December 21st) for the other pumping stations, and they have signed to a specific deadline that was set for the completion of the pumping stations,” he added.

Minister Mustapha explained that the Ministry of Agriculture and the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) are committed to working with farmers across the nation.

“As I said before, we will continue to work towards making sure that our farmers across Guyana get the necessary help that they need so that they can continue to deliver the best quality of produce.”

“I am also pleased to say that in another first for Guyana, a conservancy has been formed in Region 10, offering vital fresh water that is already increasing the output for our nearby farmers,” he related.

In addition to that, Minister Mustapha also emphasised that there has been a notable advancement in the infrastructure and equipment of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) and the Mahaica Mahaicony Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA).
He asserted that the infrastructure and productivity of the country’s agriculture sector have advanced significantly as a result of this increase in resources.

The minister said: “We have seen over the last three years that, for example, MMA had three dilapidated excavators, and now they boast a fleet of six functioning ones. We have a pontoon with two excavators in the Pomeroon, and we are now building another pontoon with two more excavators.

We also have cutter edge dredges, which are capable of going into the banks of the outfalls, and we have long reach, medium reach, and mini excavators being procured by NDIA.”

Minister Mustapha stated that the construction of the canals in Regions Six and Five is on schedule to start in another two weeks and these will be similar to the Hope Canal, which is situated in the Demerara-Mahaica region of Guyana.

He related that a notable technical achievement created to reduce flooding is the Hope Canal. Flood threats for nearby communities and agricultural lands are significantly reduced by directing surplus water from the East Demerara Water Conservancy towards the Atlantic Ocean.

In order to support the massive structures in Regions Five and Six, Minister Mustapha said that, as part of the government’s plans for 2024, they will include the construction of pump stations and sluices in the two regions.

“So, in all, you will see approximately three Hope-like canals in Region Six and five in Region Five. I am hoping this will help us alleviate flooding across the regions. The drainage and irrigation work had been completed on 28,500 acres in Region Five, of which 15,000 acres were newly acquired land in Herstelling, Berbice.”

He also noted that important irrigation projects are being planned in the Pomeroon area in Region Two to help deal with flooding concerns that exist there.

According to Minister Mustapha, “we are now doing block drainage, and we are lifting the beds of these cash crop farmers to approximately 1.5 metres so they would not be easily flooded out during high tide or heavy rainfall,” the minister said adding that these works will benefit over 550 farmers and will cost $1.87 billion.