IT seems as though the harsh La Nina weather conditions are giving us a break from its deluge of heavy rainfall as flood waters continue to recede rapidly in affected areas. Whilst crops and livestock were lost and some threatened, we were comforted by the continuous presence of officials from the Ministry of Agriculture to provide technical assistance and necessary support to reduce losses. The Mahaica area where my activities are concentrated has been hard hit considering the level and amount of water that was released from the conservancy. I, like many other farmers, await with much anticipation the completion of the Hope Canal which will replace or ease the discharging of water into Mahaica.
Whilst we agree that there have been enormous amounts of rain, the internal drains of the Mahaica area drained the water off the land due to investments made by the Ministry of Agriculture, but regrettably water was released from the East Demerara Water Conservancy which ultimately flooded farms. However,the prompt response by the Minister of Agriculture himself and a team of officers whose interventions have saved the crops and livestock of many farmers will not go unnoticed. This was done through emergency excavation works, technical assistance and other support in the form of transporting livestock to higher grounds and fuel to assist farmers to pump water from their fields.
As water continues to recede, the Ministry of Agriculture commenced its assistance/support programme to ensure farmers return to the land once conditions become favourable to ensure farmers’ activities and livelihoods are not adversely affected.
As a result of the response from the Ministry of Agriculture and its agencies which have been with the farmers from day one, I would like to take this opportunity to extend our appreciation for all the early mornings and late evenings to listen to our concerns/suggestions to bring relief and ultimately secure our livelihoods.