Out of 177,734 acres of rice sown so far, 39,601 acres or 22% have been affected by the current dry weather conditions, according to Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) General Manager Nizam Hassan.
Hassan made the disclosure at a high-level meeting that was convened on Wednesday to bring relief to farmers countrywide.
He was quoted by the Government Information Agency (GINA) as saying that an additional 27,800 acres have been affected by salt water intrusion.
Region 2 Chairman Devanand Ramdatt, meanwhile, told Stabroek News that based on the figures he had received, his region was the most affected by the dry season. “We know that more than 80% of the region’s economy depends on rice and based on the numbers I received there [has] already been a significant drop in the amount of rice that has been sown as compared to last year this time,” he said yesterday.
Stabroek News was told that around this time last year, approximately 35,000 acres of rice was sown, compared to approximately 21,000 for the same period this year, representing a 40% drop. Out of the 21,000 acres that were sown, about 977 acres were lost due to the drought and salt water coming inland.
Ramdatt said that the authorities are making fundamental mistakes. “The pump at Dawa should always be working and the fuel should always be delivered on time,” he said, while noting that several times when he had visited the pump station there was a lack and spillage of fuel. “I recognised there was a lot of spillage and in a time like this, when the fuel isn’t even delivered on time, we can’t afford to be wasting the fuel,” he added.
Ramdatt also suggested that additional excavators be provided to clean some of the canals so more water would be stored. “Currently there is only one excavator in the region and we need some more to help,” he said.
He stated that the farmers have been very understanding so far and most of them have been cooperating, but there should be public advisories in all the regions to prevent other farmers from starting their crops. “It is important for farmers to understand that the priority to water access will be given to those who have already cultivated over those who are now starting. In fact, those farmers should not start their crops and allow the current crops to see through the cycle,” he said, while suggesting that the issue and warning be publicized through the media. “It’s a very fragile situation and we need to handle it with care. We can’t approach with aggression at first. And maybe, if they don’t comply—they have been complying so far—then you can enforce the laws,” he added.
However, while it is advised that the farmers desist from starting their crops, Ramdatt pointed out that the farmers are being pressured. “There are farmers who owe the bank money and some of them haven’t even been paid from their last crop and they are forced to start their crop and take risks,” he said, while stating that there needs to be a careful assessment done for all the farmers that are affected by the drought that would assist the farmers in exploring options to reschedule their loan payments and to see them paid for their last crop.
He also suggested that a task force that encompasses all the stakeholders be set up. “We know that the dry weather is expected to continue for several more months and as such we need the rice board, education, health, and other sectors to all work together,” he said.
Ramdatt also said that the farmers are urging the government to look into the current gas prices as they do not match the current market. “The farmers now have to use their pumps which require gas, which adds more cost to their production,” he said, highlighting that the price needs to be reviewed and reduced.
The GINA report stated that a multi-sectorial approach had been adopted to deal with the effects of the El Nino phenomenon and would not only see efforts being made to pump water on land, but to also explore the options of retaining water to be used during the long dry seasons.
The meeting, which was held in the Boardroom of the Ministry of Agriculture, also saw in attendance Agriculture Minister Noel Holder, Junior Public Health Minister Dr Karen Cummings, Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan, Permanent Secretary and Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Public Health, George Jervis and Collette Adams, respectively, Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Water Inc. Richard Van West-Charles, senior representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Regional Executive Officers.
