Driving Agriculture Inland!

The National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) today commissioned 17KM of fair weather road, linking a crossing at the Berbice River to the Ebini Ranch. The project cost approximately 1.5 Million US dollars and is critical in helping with the move to bolster agriculture in the Savannahs.

Whilst the Savannahs contain prime lands for various forms of agricultural development and investment, accessibility to these lands had been an issue for a number of years. With the completion and opening of this road, access will now be granted to those persons desirous of carrying agricultural operations inland.

Minister Holder surrounded by NDIA CEO Fredrick Flatts (Right), NAREI CEO Oudho Homenaught (Far left) and GLDA CEO Nigel Cumberbatch (Left) as he guides a little engineer to cut the ribbon.

Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder inspects one of the three bridges built along the new road.

A section of the New road built by the NDIA.

The importance of this access was outlined by Minister Holder who stressed on the need and urgency of pressing Guyana’s agricultural base inland as opposed to on the coast where it is constantly under threat.

“The coastland is being threatened with climate change, our sea levels are rising, to maintain our drainage we have to install more and more drainage pumps, but that is not sustainable, we have to look at extending our agricultural base into the hinterland and to higher ground.” Minister Holder explained.

The newly constructed road creates a direct link from the Berbice River crossing to the Ebini Research Ranch. This allows direct access to the Ebini Savannahs where foreign investors are currently cultivating beans and corn with some local farmers planting watermelons, cash crops and other legumes.

In addition to the 17KM of road constructed, the project also saw the construction of three concrete bridges costing roughly 28 Million Dollars.