-Persaud
The authorities will continue make relevant interventions during the current El Nino weather phenomenon, while an existing contingency plan will be reviewed and revised at the end of the prolonged dry spell, Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud assured Thursday.

Persaud, addressing the National Assembly on the response to El Nino’s impact on Guyana, stated that all challenges, interventions and lessons learnt throughout this period will be documented for future reference and an evaluation of  efforts undertaken to cushion the effects will be carried out.

According to him, in addition to emergency interventions, focus will be made on early recovery and support for persons who have experienced losses. He said that with the necessary and timely interventions made countrywide, including the provision of planting material and other forms of support, the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) expects production in the second crop and remainder of the year to make up for any possible “dip” in production during the first quarter of this year.

Persaud commended the resilience of farmers throughout the dry weather spell, as well as stakeholders for their efforts to ensure that “the adverse impact” of El Nino on their livelihood is minimised as far as possible. Noting that agriculture accounts for a third of Guyana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), he stated that the sector is “highly vulnerable to severe loss and damages occasioned by extremities of the weather.” Further, he added that, from the onset the government moved proactively toward the establishment of a national taskforce to deal with drainage and irrigation issues across the country.  The task force, which includes the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), representatives from the MoA, the ministries of Amerindian Affairs, Health, Education and Local Government, among other agencies, has instituted a number of measures to combat the effects of El Nino and, according to Persaud, communities have benefitted from a range of interventions and support to reduce the risk associated with drought conditions.

The NDIA and related entities have developed and implemented a water management and control strategy and Persaud added that a contingency plan has been developed to recharge conservancy levels at the East Demerara Water Conservancy, the Mahaica-Mahaicony-Abary holding area, the Tapacuma, Torani and Boerasirie Water Conservancies. He said that the contingency plan also ensures that there is an adequate supply of water at Shelter Belt, the main source of potable water in Georgetown and its immediate environs.

While the total impact of El Nino cannot be ascertained at this time, Persaud said that an aspect of the contingency plan has been to mitigate the losses of farmers. He explained that the MoA’s efforts and programmes are aimed at mitigating agricultural losses in the vicinity of several hundreds of millions.

Persaud highlighted ongoing studies initiated by the government on the possibility of introducing risk insurance to include drought and flood components. The World Bank, he added, is currently analysing data collected only this month on the entire spectrum of agricultural activity, including rice cultivation. He said that vulnerable regions in Guyana have benefitted from various forms of support, including the provision of fuel for the operation of irrigation pumps, the provision of tillers, generators, water pumps as well as the digging of shallow wells in hinterland areas.

Minister Persaud also stated that the administration has increased the capacity of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), which is now reviewing its National Disaster Preparedness Plan to focus on national prevention, preparedness and relief plans to cope with all types of disasters, including drought-like conditions.

Meanwhile, Persaud yesterday disclosed that some $49M has been allocated for support to interior locations, including areas in regions 1, 7, 8, 9 and 10.

He noted the availability of water in those communities is a priority. He said that a special committee was established to assess the impact of the phenomenon on hinterland communities as well as to discuss and implement measures, which will ensure relief and appropriate adaptation to current weather conditions.