Several farm-to-market roads in Region Five to be rehabilitated

The Region Five Regional Democratic Council has included the upgrading of several farm-t0-market roads in its 2021 work programme in keeping with the Government’s goal to increase agricultural production.

The Region plans to rehabilitate the Mahaica New Branch Road, Mahaicony Branch Road and the Burma access road and a section of the Number 27 road.

Speaking with DPI, Regional Chairman Mr. Vickchand Ramphal said enhancing these roads would reduce commuting time and increase farmers overall production. 

“Knowing that Region Five is the largest rice-producing region in the country, it was imperative to address some areas to push the development of the sector and so we identified several farm-to-market roads to be rehabilitated since there were in a dilapidated state, over the past years.”

He added that the administration also intends to rehabilitate Mahaica-Mahaicony-Abary/Agricultural Development Authority scheme to improve its infrastructure.

“We would have seen several dams be graded and shaved as well as the canals and trenches within the cultivation area being cleared and cleaned, which has led to better irrigation in the farming areas. This, of course, is a great boost for our region and our farmers,” the Regional Chairman said.

The Government’s goal is to restore Guyana as the ‘breadbasket of the Caribbean’ by making the necessary investments and providing technical, financial and other support to the agriculture sector.

In December, Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Zulfikar Mustapha told Region Five farmers that the administration intends to develop more lands to double rice production in the next five years. To this end, the Ministry has installed several drainage pumps which have already started to reduce the level of flooding due to seasonal rains.

Mr. Ramphal said this measure is exactly what the Region needs to push the sector’s development, while reducing the adversity farmers and residents face.

In the 2020 Budget, the Ministry made allocations for the installation of a new pump at Trafalgar, which will enable the operationalisation of four pumps at the station in keeping with its design. Provisions were also made for 12 high-capacity drainage pumps to be installed in the Region.