Pumps procured to ease water woes faced by Paraquita Bay farmers- Premier
Government has moved a step closer to resolving the persistent water challenges faced by farmers at Paraquita Bay, as water pumps to be assigned to the wells in the community have now been procured.
This is according to Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7), who made the disclosure while giving remarks at the opening ceremony of Farmers and Fishers Week 2023, held at the exhibition grounds at Paraquita Bay on March 19, 2023.
The Premier, who is also the Minister of Agriculture, was at the time outlining numerous steps made by government to improve the livelihood of farmers in the area who have been plagued by water shortages and inaccessibility.
'Thank God the pumps have now been procured'
“We also have the question of water. Water has been a concern for the farmers for many years; and certainly we have procured something that we have been speaking about and we’ve moved on it now. Getting pumps for the wells.
“Again, it is something that I would have liked to have see happen before, but thank God that the pumps have now been procured and we have moved forward. We can move forward with making water available to farmers through the wells”, Hon Wheatley said.
Additionally, the Premier noted that a reservoir will be placed on the hill near the exhibition grounds location, to assist farmers, and perhaps at some point another will be placed on the opposite hill of the valley.
Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the
Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7), made the disclosure of the water
pumps being procured while speaking at the opening ceremony of Farmers
and Fishers Week 2023, held at Paraquita Bay on March 19, 2023. Project handed over to RDA
This too, he noted, has been handed over to the Recovery and Development Agency (RDA).
“They [RDA] have at least two hundred thousand dollars to get them started. And in short order you’ll see us going through the procurement process to getting that reservoir on the hill and providing the water and gravity feeding it down to the farmers,” Hon Wheatley said.
The Premier had indicated during a press conference on August 26, 2022 that the House of Assembly will approve a Supplementary Appropriation Bill (SAP) to fund a reservoir at Paraquita Bay and equipment to pump water from the wells in an effort to improve farmers’ access to water as a means of enhancing farming and food security.
Dr Wheatley and team had at the time determined that the construction of a reservoir was the most sustainable resolve to the water challenge.
He had also pointed to formalising the land leasing process for farmers in the area as another important step in advancing agriculture.
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