Hundreds of Berbice farmers to benefit from Canje to Corentyne farm to market road

-virgin lands to open up along the coast

Hundreds of farmers between Numbers 52 and 74 villages Corentyne are set to benefit from a farm-to-market road, which will open up lands for expansion in the agriculture sector.

Minister of Public Works, Hon. Juan Edghill on Saturday met farmers and residents at the Number 36 Primary School to address the infrastructural upgrades in the area.

They deliberated on whether the road should be built on the Number 57-58 or Number 58-59 dam to open up new lands beyond the Canje Creek.

“You can’t have expansion if you don’t open up new lands. The intent is that we will build a road from the Corentyne Highway all the way to the Canje Creek. We may have to do it in phases and then possibly to get to other lands over the other side of the Canje Creek, putting a bridge over the Canje Creek and getting other lands,” Minister Edghill said.

The project, which will be tendered soon, will create avenues for employment in the agriculture sector, which will boost the country’s economy.

 Farmers have expressed gratitude for the initiative.

“Seven hundred rice areas will benefit direct from this road. Three hundred acres of farmland which is the reef land, will benefit directly from this road. All the homestead people living there will benefit direct. Sixteen thousand acre of cattle pasture will benefit direct from this project. The three co-operatives, which is 10,000 acres, will benefit direct from this project, and the nearby area which is to the Canje Creek will benefit from this project,” farmer Mr. Ramlagan Singh told DPI.

In April, Minister Edghill led a team of engineers, regional officials and farmers to inspect the road alignment, which begins at Number 52 Village and runs for 23 kilometres to the Canje Creek area. 

He later ventured into the backlands of Number 58 Village to inspect the alignment for another possible roadway to Canje Creek. That alignment measures 10 kilometres and ends at the Seaforth Canal.

The Government is forging ahead with expansion in the sector, with the construction of several farm-to-market roads.

A $175 million road on the right bank of the Mahaicony Creek in Region Five (Demerara-Mahaica) and another farm-to-market road worth some $150 million on the left bank of the Mahaica Creek, Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) are already on the cards.

Another road is set to be completed this year at Salem, Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara).

Earlier in the year, Agriculture Minister, Hon. Zulfikar Mustapha and Senior Minister in the Office of the President, Hon. Dr. Ashni Singh turned the sod for a farm-to-market road at Onverwagt, Region Five, to the tune of $327 million.

Some $23.7 billion has been allocated in the National Budget for road construction this year.

Meanwhile, consultations were also held with farmers and residents in the area to build a private airstrip, which will facilitate an aircraft to spray crops.

Minister Edghill said an airstrip in Number 36 Village would allow easier crop spraying.

A proposal by Nand Persaud and Company Limited’s was well-received by most of the farmers and residents. However, some persons expressed concerns about being affected by the chemicals.

Minister Edghill gave the assurance that the Pesticide Control Board must approve the use and storage of the chemical before the company gets the greenlight.

Approval must also be granted by the Defence Board, the Environmental Protection Agency and the local authority.