An additional 55,000 acres of farmland will soon become available in Region Five as the government advances major drainage and irrigation works aimed at expanding agricultural production, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha said.
Speaking at a meeting with farmers at Onverwagt Village on Saturday, Mustapha said the expansion is linked to ongoing works on a “Hope-like canal” stretching from Mahaica to Ithaca, which is expected to unlock new agricultural lands.
“With the Hope-like canal that we are doing now, from Mahaica to Ithaca, a new 55,000 acres of land will become available to farmers in this scheme here.
So what we are doing, we are trying as a government to bring more land and to develop these lands because you will see a lot of farm-to-market roads we are looking to build,” Mustapha told the farmers.
The MMA/ADA scheme already comprises approximately 106,000 acres for rice cultivation, 40,000 acres for cash crops and nearly 50,000 acres for livestock, making it the country’s largest agricultural scheme.
Mustapha also noted that two high-level canals planned for Region Five are expected to significantly reduce flooding across farmland while improving access and productivity.
Addressing land access and tenancy issues within the scheme, the minister said the government is working to regularise allocations and resolve disputes affecting farmers.
He urged prospective applicants to begin the registration process early to avoid missing out on future allocations.
“I’m informing you in advance that at the completion of the high-level canals, you will have 55,000 acres of land being made available to farmers. Start the application.
Start the process. Or else when the time comes, and people will apply for it and get it, you will be left behind,” the minister warned.
