By Bebi Oosman

Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha has reiterated that the PPP/C government is committed to modernising the country’s drainage and irrigation systems, aiming to deliver enhanced drainage services and significant improvements that will benefit people across the nation.

During an interview with members of the state media on Saturday, Minister Mustapha stated, “We are trying to modernise the entire drainage and irrigation system in this country, over the years I think we have made tremendous improvement, we have put in a number of equipment and pump stations across the country, we have rehabilitated and clear hundreds if not thousands of kilometre, rods of canals, drains.”

He added that farmers are now getting easier access to irrigation water despite a prolonged dry spell. However, he stated that he is also very much aware that the Number 51/Good Hope, Corentyne Area needs some assistance while stressing that they are working closely with the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) to assist farmers there.
“I know for a fact there is an issue at the 51/Good Hope area and we are trying to address that issue, I have instructed that a pump be taken there so that we can increase the flow of irrigation water to the farming community in that area,” he said.

As it relates to the improvements within the drainage and irrigation system, the Agriculture Minister proudly highlighted that under the visionary leadership of the PPP/C government, significant strides have been made in the construction and ongoing development of pump stations across the country.

These pump stations, he said are a key component of the government’s comprehensive efforts to modernize the drainage and irrigation infrastructure, ensuring more effective management of water resources. This ambitious initiative is designed to not only improve flood control but also enhance agricultural productivity, directly benefiting communities and strengthening the nation’s resilience to climate challenges.

According to the Minister, the PPP/C government remains dedicated to creating lasting improvements that will have a positive impact on residents throughout Guyana. “We are modernising the drainage system in our country and whilst we are doing that, we are also rehabilitating a number of sluices to make them more efficient so that we can complement the drainage time in these communities so that we can ease flooding.

“Because there are a number of problems sometimes farmers are experiencing and flooding is one of the more serious problems. Over the years the government had to get funds to get farmers to go back to the fields when we have these floods, so we are trying to modernise these areas, put in all these investments.”

According to Minister Mustapha, under his leadership, the government purchased “hundreds of machinery” to further enhance drainage and irrigation works countrywide. “Various regions now we have fleets of machinery doing jobs with the D&I system.”

Meanwhile, Minister Mustapha also pointed out that last year works commenced on the high-level Hope-like canals in Region Six, two of which are being built and expected to drain thousands of acres of land bringing major relief to farmers, cattle owners and residents in the region.

According to him, similar canals will also be built in Region Five and Three as almost $26B is expected to be expended on the high-level canals. “Also, what this will help us to do is to open up new lands, thousands of acres of new lands will be opened up so that farmers will have more opportunity to go into production.”

He added, “So all these things we are doing and I think this year again we have seen the investment that we will be making in the D&I sector, $73.2 billion have been allocated for the D&I sector.”

Focusing further on the 2025 budget presented in Parliament on Friday, Minister Mustapha said, “I am very happy to see that this budget has tremendous benefit for every section of Guyana’s society and the Guyanese community.”

Adding that the agriculture sector has grown tremendously over the last four years, he stated, “The agriculture sector we are moving rapidly and we are making Guyana more food secure and you know where we took the sector from when we took the sector, the sector was run down, people had lost confidence in the sector.”

Pointing that Guyana is the “shining light” in Caricom, Mustapha said that every single country is looking towards Guyana “for that leadership, that expertise that we have and we are working with them.”

He explained that a food hub is being constructed as the government wants Guyana to be the primary area in the Caribbean, “a food-producing country where Guyana will be the food hub to produce all the food going to the Caribbean because we are going to be successful in reducing the food import bill by 25% by the end of this year, then Guyana has to be successful and we have a success story in Guyana to tell the Caribbean, to share with the Caribbean, to help them that is why they have so much confidence, the Caribbean community have so much in Guyana’s ability to help them to set up their agriculture sector or to resuscitate their agriculture sector.”