The government has pledged to assist in drainage and irrigation (D&I) works in the Lower Pomeroon to help farmers there deal with flooding.
Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud along with a team of technical and regional personnel visited several areas in the Pomeroon that were affected by flooding yesterday. Among the places visited were Little Try Best, Lower Pomeroon and Dredge Creek/Kaikaburi in the Upper Pomeroon.
According to a press release from the Government Information Agency (GINA) at Little Try Best, farmers proposed a project that will protect several acres of farmland from flooding and support advanced agricultural development and this was accepted by the team and Persaud, who informed them that arrangements will be made to implement the works immediately.
The release said that the project will be carried out with funds that were committed several years ago by Prime Minister Samuel Hinds for upgrading drainage and irrigation in the area, but which were never utilized by farmers.
Another proposal will be reviewed by engineers, GINA said. The minister was reported as saying that the intention is to help relieve farmers immediately with implementation of projects for which resources are available, while other larger proposed investments will require technical and financial considerations.
Other assistance such as the provision of planting materials and chemicals such as fungicide were offered to affected farmers, who expressed satisfaction and made recommendations for other initiatives to boost agricultural and livestock production in their area.
The issue of pig rearing was raised and the farmers were told that this has been recognized as an area with great potential and through the intervention of President Bharrat Jagdeo resources were made available to initiate a pig breeding programme.
Meanwhile, at Dredge Creek, farmers were informed of the assistance with planting materials and chemicals and were asked about possible D&I recommendations that could eliminate the threat of flooding and boost farming activities.
They suggested that an additional outlet from the Kaikaburi Canal into the Pomeroon be established to help drain the area since the main channel, Dredge Creek, cannot adequately discharge the excess water during the heavy rainfall. Technical officials from the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) have been tasked with reviewing the proposal, the release said.
It added that following the 2005 and 2006 flooding, Government committed and delivered two excavators to improve D&I in the Upper and Lower Pomeroon. These have since been used to empolder farmlands and excavate drains in several miles of farmlands.
According to the release, farmers reported that the works done with the machines have been beneficial since the areas that have been improved were not affected by the heavy rainfall.
In addition to the provision of the two machines worth more than $60M, resources were spent to procure pontoons that are being used to transport the excavators from one area to another.
Regional Chairman Ali Baksh, NDIA’s Acting Chief Executive Officer, Lionel Wordsworth and Chief Crops and Livestock Officer, Brian Sears were among those present at the meeting, the release said.
