Government has set up an inter-agency committee made up of state and government agencies to monitor the effects of the current dry weather season and make recommendations where necessary.
Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon at a post-Cabinet media briefing on Thursday told reporters that Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud briefed cabinet on the impact of the El Nino phenomenon and the required interventions particularly in coastal and hinterland areas.
According to Luncheon, Persaud has so far given an initial assessment of the impact so far since the primary focus is on the agriculture sector. In this regard he noted that the issue of sufficient potable water may arise and so persons would have to be careful when dealing with irrigation structures.
He revealed too that the rice sector is being monitored at the regional levels and by the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), the Rice Producers Association (RPA) and the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) since this and the next season’s crops could be affected.
