MINISTER of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, has confirmed that the Hope-like canals currently under construction in Berbice are on track for completion in 2026.

According to him, the project is part of the government’s broader strategy to enhance the country’s drainage and irrigation network, particularly in areas that are vulnerable to flooding and drought.

The canals are designed to replicate the successful Hope Canal model on the East Coast of Demerara, which was built to provide a reliable outlet for excess water during the rainy season.

Once operational, the canals located in Regions Five and Six are expected to directly benefit thousands of farmers and households in Berbice by safeguarding farmlands, reducing crop losses and increasing productivity.

Minister Mustapha reaffirmed the government’s commitment to delivering the project on time, stressing that the 2026 deadline will be met as work continues to progress steadily.

The completion of the Hope-like canals will mark another major milestone in the administration’s efforts to modernise the agricultural sector, while protecting communities from the impacts of climate change.

“We have the mega projects; we have the high-level canals in Region Six that will be completed next year, so we have massive transformation that is taking place,” Mustapha said about the infrastructure within the sector.

In September, Mustapha had said that embankments for the major canals in Regions Five and Six have been completed, paving the way for the construction of sluices and other critical infrastructure.

He had stated, “In Region Six, we have finished the entire embankment already; we are now in the process of doing the canal itself, the two canals from Number 51 and Manchester-Lancaster area, and to take that canal out to the Atlantic.”

The infrastructure will mirror that of the Hope Canal in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica). This facility, which has Guyana’s largest sluice, aids in directing excess water towards the Atlantic Ocean.

The massive drainage and irrigation infrastructure located in Region Four was commissioned back in 2014, and has eight doors that function as a drainage sluice. In Region Five, the embankment will stretch from Mahaica to Ithaca.

“I am anticipating that shortly, those canals will be completed and the infrastructure that we will put in stream; the sluices and so, will commence shortly. So, a lot of works have already been completed,” he emphasised.

In addition to confirming the next-year completion timeframe, Minister Mustapha said that a number of other pump stations will be completed, paving the way for the modernisation of the entire drainage and irrigation system.