Dear Editor,
We wish to refer to the letter by Mr Ganga Persaud that was published in the Stabroek News on March 19, titled ‘GuySuCo has more water than it needs on the West Coast but is not sparing any for the rice farmers’.
We empathize with the writer and others who may be affected adversely, in view of the current severe dry conditions being experienced across Guyana, the Caribbean and in other regions worldwide. However, we would like to note that the adverse statements made about the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) in the letter are not correct.
GuySuCo does not have in place a permanent “stoplock” structure at Leonora to control and take all the water as stated in Mr Persaud’s letter. The two-door intake structure at the back of Leonora is under the control of the Boerasirie Commissioners in accordance with the Laws of Guyana, Boerasirie Creek Act, Chapter 50:05. It is the Commissioners who control the release of irrigation water to the rice and other crop farmers as well as to the sugar estates; GuySuCo does not have control over that process.
It is also incorrect for Mr Persaud to state that GuySuCo takes all of the water and leaves just a little for rice farmers. For floatation of loaded punts and water transport to the Uitvlugt factory, GuySuCo has an established minimum operational water level of 54.0’ Georgetown Datum (GD); for the Leonora section, the operational level is 53.5’ GD with a check sluice to control the two different water levels across the Uitvlugt and Leonora sides of our cultivation. There are many other navigational check structures located throughout the cultivation which are used to control water levels and prevent wastage of water.
It should be noted that GuySuCo is struggling to maintain these navigation levels during the current El Niño situation. We have two large fixed pumps at Uitvlugt Estate which re-circulate water from our drainage system into our navigation system. Water used in the factory is also recycled. The field staff are ever vigilant in checking and monitoring the drainage and irrigation network to prevent wastage of water. Despite these efforts, the estate is experiencing difficulties in moving punts in the sections where the land level is higher.
At our Wales Estate, we have not been able to obtain water from the Boerasirie Conservancy for the current first crop of 2016. That estate had to source its water from the Kamuni Creek via the Kamuni Water Path. On Saturday March 12, the level of water had fallen too low for natural gravity flow and a mobile pump had to be installed to pump water from the Kamuni Water Path into the Wales Estate navigation system.
GuySuCo has had to cut back on its replanting programme for the first crop 2016 by approximately 50 % because of the current El Niño phenomenon and consequential low level of water in the conservancies.
While sugar cane, more-so the ratoon, is much less susceptible than rice to dry conditions, growth and development of sugar cane has been adversely affected on all of our sugar estates. The corporation is currently conducting an evaluation on the extent of the impact on cane growth and sugar production, as a result of the dry weather conditions currently being experienced.
Nonetheless, we do understand that in challenging situations such as the prolonged dry spell and in cases where there is interdependence by various parties on a particular source, in this case, a water source, there could be fallouts. GuySuCo is therefore calling on all parties to be mindful of managing our relationships, so that we can together find solutions to our common problems.
The corporation would also wish to reiterate that it has always exercised good corporate social responsibility and will continue to do so.
We sincerely hope that Mr Ganga Persaud, other rice farmers and other stakeholders experiencing similar challenges to those of our corporation, would be able to find greater relief shortly.
Yours faithfully,
Audreyanna Thomas
Senior Communications Officer
Guyana Sugar Corporation
