Dear Editor,
Farmers from Maria’s Lodge to Perseverance on the Essequibo Coast, have been experiencing their 21-day young rice flooded out for the past month owing to heavy rainfall and because the irrigation regulators were left open for days. It is reported that one of the sluice operators failed to carry out his duty efficiently on time thus causing these rice fields to be flooded. They are now infested with duckweed.
Duckweed is a serious aquatic weed which grows vigorously in standing water. During this long flooding period the duckweed has smothered the young rice leaving large areas in the farmers’ fields without rice plants.
Despite the increasingly unreliable rains and flooding the Essequibo rice farmers can no longer rely on the regional administration and the Drainage and Irrigation Department that used to help them in the past. Technology offers a solution, but there are no weather stations here on the Essequibo Coast, the management of the regional administration is poor and the drainage and irrigation monitoring network is a thousand times weaker.
Research data, field trials and actual farm use have shown that when first-dose fertilizer is applied 18-20 days after sowing, it can result in a significant economic advantage to the farmer. However, because of the flooding and no drainage, farmers from Maria’s Lodge to Perseverance cannot broadcast their first-dose fertilizers on time. They will also incur additional expenses to buy herbicides to control the duckweed which has caused injury to the young plants. This would result in a loss of earnings.
The flooding of the young rice was reported by the ranger to the regional administration one month ago, and he suggested ways to combat the present crisis, but no one is paying any attention to his advice. It is too early to make a definitive forecast of the acreage damaged, as the rain is yet to resume later in December 2013. Considering the critical nature of the current situation, it will be necessary for Minister Ali Baksh and the government to protect the interest of these rice farmers.
Yours faithfully,
Mohamed Khan