In an effort to boost agriculture production in East Berbice Corentyne (Region Six), the regional administration will be undertaking drainage and irrigation works in new communities within the coastal area.
This was disclosed by Regional Chairman (RC) David Armogan during an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI).
According to Armogan, the administration has decided to expand the infrastructural work into Sisters Village, Brothers Village, Manchester as well as communities along the East Bank corridor of Berbice after the substandard drainage and irrigation situation was highlighted by farmers. The RC stressed, with the influx of persons becoming involved in farming, particularly cash crop farming and cattle rearing, it was necessary to execute these works.
“We (regional administration) found that some farmers, as well as lands, are abandoned because of poor drainage and irrigation, particularly in the coastal areas. So, what we are doing, is basically bringing those areas back into agriculture production,” Armogan said.
The region has allocated $841,285,000 of its $6.4B approved budget for works in the agriculture sector for this year. These include the construction of drainage structures at Vryheid Lust, the rehabilitation of bridges at Mibicuri, Joanna and Number 61 and Number 62 villages and rehabilitative works on sluices at Wellington Park and Cumberland, a facade at Plegtanker to Zorg-en-Vlygt and a drainage canal at Liverpool and Alness.
Additionally, the RC disclosed that the region has increased its rice acreage by almost 8,000 hectares. According to a release from the Ministry of Agriculture, harvesting of the first crop of 2017 has been completed and the figures provided by the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) indicate that farmers harvested a total of 89,290 hectares, which is 23 per cent over the first crop in 2016.
