Agriculture Ministry rejects claims Abary canal will hurt farmers

(Kaieteur News) – The Ministry of Agriculture has rejected claims by Opposition Leader Mohamed Azruddin that the ongoing Drainage and Irrigation (D&I) works at Abary Creek could threaten the livelihoods of rice and cattle farmers, insisting that the project is intended to expand agricultural production and improve water management.

The ministry’s response came after Kaieteur News reported concerns from several farmers in Abary, Region Five, who said excavators had entered their lands and that they were worried about access, drainage and the impact of the canal on their farming operations. The farmers had called for the works to be halted or for further consultations to determine whether the canal could be relocated.

The ministry, however, described Mohamed’s assertions as “misleading” and said they were not supported by the project’s feasibility assessment or the Government’s stated objectives for the agricultural sector.