Dear Editor,
This afternoon I received a phone call from farmers saying that there is a serious infestation of paddy bugs in their rice crop which is in the anthesis or blooming stage. I decided to take a field trip to the northern side of the Essequibo coast in my car and have a first-hand look at the bugs which can cause serious damage to rice crops. As a former rice extension agriculture officer and rice farmer, I have a wealth of experience in this field working with a bug expert from Trinidad, Mr Neerings. The farmers know this too, that’s why they are seeking my advice about how to control the bugs.
Some of the rice fields that I visited are in the milking stage, where the plant contains a whitish liquid that can be sucked out by the bugs and pierced in the dough stage.
With the amount of bugs I saw in the fields, it doesn’t need a bug net or a bug sweep to determine the amount per square; they are in the millions. The farmers were making 10 walks in a 10-acre block with a mist blower (motor blower) trying to conquer the bugs. In an effort to protect a crop from destruction, farmers in the past had used traditional (non-chemical) methods; however, they are now fighting the battle with chemicals, ie, pesticides.
The widespread use of pesticides in the paddy fields has resulted in new problems, including poisoning, resistance to chemicals on the part of the insects, and a loss of pests’ natural enemies. Researchers have introduced a new system of integrated pest management (IPM), an environmentally and economically sound way to control agricultural pests.
The GRDB extension officers need to educate the farmers that IPM can control pests using a combination of techniques: the natural enemies of a pest; special cropping practices such as timing; the rate of fertilizer application and synchronized planting; pest resistant varieties; and the minimal use of chemical pesticides based on regular monitoring of the fields to diagnose pest damage.
IPM must be fined-tuned and adapted to specific agricultural, ecological and economic conditions, as well as to the felt needs of the farmers.
It has the potential to lower the risks to human health and the environment significantly, while providing higher yields and profits. The year-round favourable climatic conditions in Guyana and the tropics support the proliferation of the bug population with the consequent losses in yield and poor quality of paddy once it is damaged.
At the time of my visits, the farmers used the opportunity to report that they have not received a cent for their last paddy crop which was sold to some the millers; they are still owed huge sums of money, although the government has given them a bail-out from the treasury. They also complained that the big wholesale and retail dealer who is selling fertilizers has increased the prices 10 fold, and the cost of production has skyrocketed. At the moment they are not certain what the new price for a bag of paddy would be for this crop. The consequences of the declining prices of are already being felt and many small and large farmers are feeling the effects.
Considering the high cost of production and heavy infestation of paddy bugs, it will be necessary for government to protect their interests. This could be expedited and supported by bringing fertilizers and chemicals into the region at an affordable cost; there is also the need for constructive dialogue between the rice farmers and the Minister of Agriculture at this time.
The reality is that rough times are ahead when the Venezuelan market comes to an end in November, without renewal, as Suriname our neighbour began offering more competitive prices for their rice. This is undoubtedly a bold move to capture Guyana’s share of the market.
Yours faithfully,
Mohamed Khan
