Relief for hundreds of farmers with installation of $75M pump at Crabwood Creek

Hundreds of farmers in the Upper Corentyne area will now benefit from a new 80 cusec pump which was installed recently at Crabwood Creek, East Berbice to the tune of $75 million.

The new piece of equipment was procured and installed following a meeting held with the Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha and farmers of that area some three weeks ago.

The farmers had requested that the Minister assist in alleviating the flooding they have been experiencing in their farming catchment areas. They had relayed to the Minister that when it rains, or there is a high tide, heavy flooding is experienced on their farmlands.

These farmers are now optimistic that with the pump’s installation, there will be 24-hour drainage during the upcoming May/June rainy season.

During a briefing with members of the media yesterday, Regional Chairman David Armogan said that when there is a heavy downpour, water would usually lodge on the farmlands for “two to three days.”

This he said results in farmers losing an extensive amount of crops.

He said with the new pump in place, when the koker is not operable the pump will serve the purpose of pushing out the excess water, benefitting both cash crop and rice farmers

“It is pretty big so it can push a lot of water off the ground so maybe in a day and so it can take off about an inch or inch and a half water,” Armogan said.

Jainarine Dhanraj, a cash crop and rice farmer said he was pleased that Minister Mustapha heard their concerns and moved swiftly to have the pump put in place.

“That go benefit us nice for the May/June time because when the rain fall hard the koker shut the pump go pull out the overflow water.” He further said that when the koker is closed the water would usually flood the farms but with the pump in place, such will not be the case.