Chairman of Region 2, Mr. Alli Baksh, has reported that the sowing for the current rice crop in the highland areas will be late because of low irrigation water level.

In an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Mr. Baksh said that the El Nino weather pattern is affecting the Region and water levels in conservancies, lakes and irrigation canals have dropped very low.

According to Mr. Baksh, rice fields in the highland area cannot be irrigated as yet because of low levels of water.

The chairman explained that is predicted that the region will experience a long dry spell.

Occasionally there is short intense rainfall, but not enough to fill conservancies or irrigation canals to the desired level to irrigate the highlands.

Mr. Baksh said that the administration is currently supplying water to the low lands and warned farmers especially in the highland areas not to tamper with irrigation structures to get water into their field s for sowing.

The chairman said the highlands will be irrigated but farmers have to wait.
Some 32,500 acres will be cultivated with rice for the spring crop 2010.