Government Helping Farmers Build Free Ponds for Water Storage, PM Browne Says
Prime Minister Gaston Browne says the government is providing free assistance to farmers to build ponds and dams that will allow them to capture and store rainwater for agricultural use.
Speaking on the Browne and Browne Show on Pointe FM, Browne said the Ministry of Agriculture has been equipped with new machinery to help farmers improve their access to water and reduce the impact of droughts.
“We bought some equipment for the Ministry of Agriculture to assist with the development of ponds for the farmers,” Browne said. “We’re helping them to dig their own ponds. We do it for free as a government so they can have their own water catchment and their water supply.”
The prime minister said the programme is designed to make farms more self-sufficient, explaining that properly constructed ponds and dams could provide several months of water storage after a single heavy rainfall.
“We’re going to build out these ponds and dams for them so that with one good shower of rain, they probably have water for at least six months minimum,” Browne said.
He said the initiative is part of the government’s broader agricultural support programme, which includes investments in new heavy equipment, solar lighting for farms, and infrastructure upgrades to improve productivity and resilience in the sector.
Browne said the goal is to help farmers produce more consistently throughout the year, even during dry seasons, while cutting costs and boosting national food security.
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