Buxton farmers finally benefit from drainage and irrigation services

Farmers from Buxton on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) will finally receive assistance from the Agriculture Ministry in regard to drainage and irrigation.
This promise was made by Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha during a recent meeting with representatives of the Buxton/Friendship Farmers Group on Tuesday, when a number of issues affecting their livelihood was shared with the minister.
Farmers who cultivate farmlands in the backdams complained about the lack of drainage due to clogged canals and drains.

Chairman of the Farmers Group, Leroy Hamer, said in the past the community was not able to benefit from drainage and irrigation services.
“We were not getting the cooperation in terms of the maintenance of the waterways. The water level is very low and that causes tremendous damage to our farms. The drainage systems need to be updated and maintained. We also need irrigation. When rain falls, we are flooded out, and when there is the dry season, we have no water to water our crops. We are farmers, and if we are planting, we have to get water for our crops,” Hamer is quoted as saying by the release from the Agriculture Ministry.
Minister Mustapha informed the gathering that a machine would be sent to the village to commence works on the canal in a matter of days. He also said that other small drainage projects would be done, and those works would be contracted to members of that community.
“We will give contracts to persons in the community to do the manual cleaning, so that employment can be in the community and revenue can be circulated. You, the beneficiaries, will have to sign off on the works before payments are made. If you are not pleased with the way the works are done, we will hold off on making payments until you are satisfied,” the minister is quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, Marcia Mathews, a resident of the village, also raised issues of farmers being given expired products to use on their crops.
“I represent poultry farming, and we would need assistance in that area. One time, the NARIE people came to assist us, and when they bring the poison to assist us, it damaged all of our crops. It wasn’t good poison, it was expired poison, but they scratched off the dates on it. So, we would like ya’ll to help us with proper things”, she said.
A number of other persons expressed an interest in getting into farming, but sought the assistance of the minister with providing basic farming tools, such as power saws, grass cutters and cutlasses.
Minister Mustapha informed the residents that, given that Government is operating with an emergency budget, it would not be able to carry out all the major works needed in the community this year, but assured that provision would be made in future budgets.
Additionally, Minister Mustapha distributed a number of seeds to farmers as part of the recommenced seed distribution initiative.