Canada yesterday launched two pilot programmes aimed at helping Region Six farmers to ease the impact of flooding.
A release from the Canadian High Commission said that Raymond Drouin, Charge d’Affaires, Head, Development Cooperation of the High Commission of Canada launched the two pilot projects aimed at addressing some of the effects of flooding on agricultural productivity and the livelihoods of farmers in Region 6.
The release said that the beneficiaries are the Central Corentyne Farmers Group and the Bushlot No. 43 Village Development Group. The projects are crafted to reduce the risk of damage caused to crops from floods and droughts.
Funding for the projects came from the Caribbean Disaster Risk Management Fund (CCDRMF), to the amount of $10 million dollars each. “Both groups of beneficiaries produced their projects through partnership efforts, and are supported with ongoing technical advice and guidance, project management as well as logistic support offered by the Canadian Hunger Foundation (CHF)”, the release said.
It said that vital components of the project are the re-design of the internal field and secondary drainage infrastructure on farms to reduce the effects of water logging on crop production, setting up of a nursery to produce seedlings for farmers, raising of cultivation plots and the installation of drainage outlets to enhance irrigation on farmlands in the communities that are affected by flooding.
