– Minister Persaud tells Region Five farmers
As Guyana continues to experience the impact of the current El Niño weather conditions, constant investments are being made by the Agriculture Ministry to cushion its effects and support farming communities.
Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud, along with technical staff from his Ministry, yesterday visited Fairfield and updated farmers of that community about additional interventions being made in Region Five and to inspect works ongoing in the Mahaica Creek and the East Demerara Water Conservancy.
Minister Persaud, while addressing farmers and their concerns, highlighted that his Ministry has been visiting farming communities affected by El Niño conditions to assess their situation and provide additional interventions where necessary.
He noted that Guyana, like many other countries, is experiencing the drought- like conditions.
“Across the country we have mobilized resources in all the regions and local officials to try and work very closely with farmers…to develop the type of system that we need so that we can respond, address… provide the type of assistance in all the areas,” Minister Persaud told farmers.
The Agriculture Minister pointed out that it is his Ministry’s intention to minimise losses by ensuring that water is being provided where it is needed.
“So far we have close to 10,000 acres of rice land under stress, we have cattle too going through some very difficult conditions, we have some acreage in terms of crops under pressure…in the hinterland areas where they did not get rains,” he explained.
He told them that it is costing the Ministry approximately $3.2M per day to operate pumps and conduct other works in the region.
Minister Persaud stated that while the Ministry had been investing in drainage and irrigation needs, its resources are currently overstretched and farmers need to understand resources need to be shared during this difficult time.
On February 15, the Ministry will be conducting a second ‘wave’ of assistance in the region where dietary supplements, molasses, feed and veterinary assistance will be provided.
In addition to this assistance, he said, the Ministry has been digging water holes to provide water to cattle and farming areas.
Chief Executive Officer, National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), Lionel Wordsworth, also updated farmers about current investments being undertaken to cushion the effects of the phenomenon.
Alluding to the 2010 budget, the Minister stated that the agriculture sector once again has received the necessary resources to undertake and sustain the type of interventions that the Ministry has been making so that it can continue its diversification programme of traditional sectors and livestock and improving the conditions for farmers.
This year, approximately $6.1B was allocated to the sector to further improve drainage and irrigation. $800M will be used to commence construction of the Hope outfall channel, while $852M will be utilised for the acquisition and installation of pumps, excavators and pipes in Regions 2 to 6, and $3.9B for the construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of drainage structures, including sluices, kokers, outfall channels, revetments and groynes.
He explained that the Authority, along with the Mahaica Mahaicony Abary/Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA), has examined means by which they can provide fresh water into the network.
Wordsworth told farmers that a new irrigation canal has been established from the Klusharabu creek (a tributary to Mahaica River) and has been linked directly to the Perth/Baibu canal.
Works on the canal, which will be about 4 miles in length, is expected to be completed within a week’s time. The cutting of the new canal will cost approximately $30M.
The CEO noted that staff is working around-the-clock to complete the project, adding that four machines had been already deployed to clean a section of the creek from Mahaica.
“Our focus at the moment is to complete that canal and have fresh water coming into the system as quickly as possible,” Wordsworth said.
A contract has been awarded for the construction of a double door sluice at Cottage to link the Perth/Baibu canal to drain water directly to the Atlantic Ocean.
Addressing issues as it relates to works to be done in the region, he said that dams leading back to the Mahaicony creek will be rehabilitated using the NDIA’s equipment, while a technical staff will be dispatched to examine the Industry Canal.
This type of intervention is not only being undertaken in Region Five, but countrywide, and is aimed at reducing losses and wide-spread damage.
The Minister and team also visited Nancy Point along the East Demerara Conservancy, where a third pump was deployed to channel water in and out of the conservancy for distribution of fresh water supply to Georgetown. Several other pumps have been deployed in recent months in the Maduni area to discharge water to the Mahaica area and for Georgetown and the East Coast.
Since the advent of the conditions, government has spent in excess of $250M in infrastructure works to support farmers countrywide, with $49M allocated to hinterland locations. (GINA)