I WOULD LIKE to first state that climate change is a real force of nature, and its full devastating effects are yet to be seen if we are not prepared.
I say this without any doubt, as I am a resident of Coomacka for the past 30 years and have never witnessed the intensity of rainfall we experienced over the past few days.
The effects could have been far worse had the Ministry of Agriculture not commenced the desilting of the Coomacka outlets.
This has greatly assisted in removing accumulated water due to heavy rainfall. As such, we the residents/farmers would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to the Minister of Agriculture for fulfilling his promise during a recent visit to our community, despite not having drainage responsibility for the area.
Further to increasing drainage capacity of the area, farmers can now take up new lands and expand their cultivation as part of the ‘Grow More’ campaign.
Whilst we are grateful for the works that were undertaken, additional support is being sought from the Ministry of Agriculture to work along with farmers and other interested persons who have expressed a willingness to get involved in agriculture resulting from the positive support.
Once again, we the farmers and residents are grateful to the Ministry of Agriculture and technical officers for extending their support to assist Coomacka Mines, and for their foresight in recognizing the importance for clearing clogged outlets within the Coomacka area, which were not cleared for more than twenty years. We look forward to more interventions to support rural communities, particularly farmers.