Residents and farmers in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) are set to benefit from the improved drainage and irrigation systems following the rehabilitation and commissioning of the Andrews Pump Station, a $528 million investment by the Government.
Constructed by H. Nauth & Sons, the facility addresses the longstanding issue of inadequate drainage caused by increased cultivation. The pump station now features enhanced capacity with one 80-cusec pump and two 100-cusec pumps powered by diesel engines.
Additionally, a solar-powered operator house was also constructed as part of the project. This upgrade will provide drainage for farmlands spanning from Evergreen to Westbury, ensuring farmers can maximise their crop yields.
Highlighting the importance of the project to the region’s agricultural and economic development, Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha explained that with nearly 50,000 residents and over 200 farmers most of whom depend on agriculture, the upgraded pump station, which has the capacity to handle 280 cubic feet of water per minute will cover approximately 10,000 acres of farmland that predominantly cultivates rice and cash crops.
Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha speaking to residents during the commission ceremony
“This rehabilitation and commissioning of the Andrews Pump Station is an important milestone for the agricultural activities, and also for the economic development of this region. We have seen massive transformation taking place around our country and Essequibo is an area for us, our Region 2, is an important area for us”.
“Over 90 per cent of the population depend on agriculture. It’s an agricultural region and you depend on the Government to put in the necessary resources to ensure that we build the necessary infrastructure so that you can fly your trade in a manner that you can take care of your family and other necessities in life,” Mustapha said.
The Minister who was at the time speaking at the commissioning ceremony on Saturday, shared that the Andrews Pump Station is just one of several projects aimed at bolstering the country’s resilience against flooding and enhancing productivity. Within the next two to three weeks, additional pump stations are set to be commissioned at Montrose, Liliendaal, and Polder.
The upgraded infrastructure is expected to not only improve agricultural productivity but also enhance the quality of life for residents, marking a significant step toward the Government’s vision of a modernised and prosperous agricultural sector.
“We are modernising the drainage and irrigation sector and if you look over the last four years since 2020 that we have assumed Government, the PPP Civic has expended in this critical area, agriculture, over $5 billion to deal with and to rehabilitate the infrastructure”.
Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha inspecting the facility
“We work with the farmers, hundreds of farmers, and you know, besides rice, the Pomeroon have a lot of other crops, and that area must be one of the most productive areas in terms of other crops production. And we want to bring back the Pomeroon to where it was or surpass what we used to do before,” the Minister told the gathering.
The Minister also highlighted the Government’s commitment to engaging with the local community to understand their needs. He explained that the commissioning of the pump station was a result of direct consultations with farmers and residents, during which the Government asked about their specific needs.
“While we are expending money to improve the coastal area here, so that you can benefit more in terms of infrastructural development, we are also expending large sums of money to develop the other areas across our country. For example, billions of dollars have been expended in the Pomeroon area to develop the Pomeroon”.
“We expended over 500 million dollars to dredge the Pomeroon mouth, so that you can have better drainage… Now, when you go to the Pomeroon, you see the water when the tide is low, when the rain is falling, the tide is low,” he added.
