Minister of Agriculture Hon. Zulfikar Mustapha on Saturday 12th October 2024 handed over five excavators to Region Six. These included four mini excavators and a long boom excavator. Two of the mini excavators were handed over to the Neighborhood Democratic Council (NDC) in Black Bush Polder while the long boom and two other mini’s were handed over to the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority office in Tarlogie, Corentyne. These machines were acquired under the Ministry of Agriculture’s Flood Risk Management Project.

The long boom was procured at a cost of $46 M, while the mini’s were procured at a cost of $13.5 M each.

Speaking at the simple handing over ceremony at Tarlogie, Minister Mustapha said he has taken note of concerns raised by residents and farmers, one of which was that the machines are removed from a location before the work is completed and taken to another.

“It seems that a few persons are making decisions behind our backs and it’s affecting not them it’s affecting the government and we have to stop that immediately.”

Mustapha assured the public that all public work will be executed and completed public work before it can be used to assist private farmers with their work. He noted that Cromarty and Phillipi areas will benefit first

The Minister further stated that the main canals will be done first and called on the regional administration to handle the machines instead of the NDIA. The other two machines will be used by the regional administration to desilt the internal drainage systems.

“This will continue to work until the works we said we will do complete”, the Minister said.

Two mini excavators were also handed over to the MMA-ADA at Onverwagt, West Coast Berbice today and noted that two females will be trained to operate the machinary under the BIT program.