Topic summary
Perkerra irrigation scheme
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Perkerra River.
Perkerra irrigation scheme
The Perkerra irrigation scheme was launched in 1952 during the Emergency. Construction began in 1954.> Detainees made the roads and prepared the land for irrigation. The project was rushed, expensive to implement and maintain, with little in return. There were difficulties raising crops and difficulty selling them. Many of the tenant farmers who were settled on the project later left. By 1959 it was decided to close the scheme, which had only 100 families, but this was changed to continuing minimal operations. In 1962 the scheme was expanded, and by 1967 there were 500 farming houses, although subsidies were still needed.