Over $2.4 billion in drainage, irrigation works ongoing in Region Two

The government has allocated more than $2.4 billion for essential drainage and irrigation projects in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), offering significant relief to residents and farmers. This announcement was made by Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party, during a recent outreach in the region.

Addressing a longstanding issue, the government has effectively managed blockages in the Pomeroon River that once hindered agricultural productivity. “We have done quite a bit and spent a significant amount of money in dredging the mouth of the river. It’s quiet work, unheralded, and sometimes unnoticed, but the residents of the Pomeroon have certainly noticed it,” Dr Jagdeo stated during a press engagement on Thursday.

To support ongoing drainage efforts, the government has provided critical equipment, including two pontoons and two excavators, which operate continuously in the Pomeroon River. These tools have significantly aided farmers in managing drainage and impoldering their lands, safeguarding their crops.

“Since we assumed office, we have given the residents of the Pomeroon, two pontoons and two excavators that work all the time in the Pomeroon River…to help them with drainage work and also impoldering of their farms. And over the past several years, that has assisted a large number of farmers to better tackle the issue of drainage and impoldering their lands to save their crops,” he said.

Further bolstering these efforts, two additional excavators are expected to arrive in the coming weeks. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips and Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha revisited the communities along the Pomeroon River, where they listened to residents’ concerns and distributed various farming tools such as cutlasses, forks, and shovels.

Dr Jagdeo announced that an additional $1 billion is earmarked for the Lower Pomeroon area this year. He also highlighted the severe challenges faced by farmers under the previous administration, including increased taxes on farming implements and reduced budgets for farm-to-market roads and drainage and irrigation.

“We have removed all those impediments and reinvested in drainage and irrigation, not just for farming but also to alleviate flooding in urban areas,” he explained.

He added, “In the last government, they just cut the farm-to-market roads budget and the D&I budget for the entire country, apart from increasing taxes, increasing land and water charges, etc., which had a detrimental effect on farming. We have removed all of those, but we have also been reinvesting in drainage and irrigation, not just for farming, but also to alleviate flooding in the built-up areas,” he said.

The government plans to rehabilitate sixty kokers nationwide and procure forty new mobile pumps directly from manufacturers. These pumps will significantly enhance the country’s flood response capabilities, adding 2840 cubic feet per second pumping capacity. “This is part of a massive plan to ensure climate resilience and improve drainage and irrigation for our farmers, potentially leading to a significant increase in agricultural output and income for farmers,” Dr Jagdeo emphasized.

He added, “…a massive plan to ensure that we are climate resilient, and we also improve drainage and irrigation for our farmers, which could lead to a massive increase in output of agricultural products for our country and more income for our farmers.”

Funding for these initiatives largely comes from the sale of Guyana’s forest carbon credits, as outlined in the Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030. Payments received for maintaining forest cover are directed towards sustainable development projects in Indigenous and other communities.

Dr Jagdeo also detailed a comprehensive plan to expand agricultural cultivation, including establishing a tissue culture lab with the capacity to produce 4 million plantlets annually.

“It’s from India, the TERI [The Energy Resource Institute], that will come and build the tissue culture lab that will do 4 million plants a year. We probably will get another tissue culture lab. We’re expanding all of our nurseries,” the GS explained.

The agreement for this commercial-size tissue culture and micropropagation facility was signed in 2023.

In total, the government plans to invest $115 billion during its tenure to enhance the nation’s drainage and irrigation infrastructure.