In Parliament…
MINISTER of Agriculture, Mr. Robert Persaud has updated Parliament on the ongoing national response, by the Government, to the current El Nino phenomenon. He told the National Assembly, Thursday, that the weather pattern has been persistent since August 2009 and it is anticipated to continue into next month.

Persaud said, generally, since the third quarter of 2009, near average or below average rainfall prevailed over most of Guyana, with drier conditions in the southern parts of the country and rainfall data shows, clearly, that, between May 2009 and February 2010, Guyana recorded approximately 30 to 50 per cent below its long term average.

“This prolonged dry weather has impacted on our water resources and has been most seriously felt in the farming areas along the coast and within our hinterland communities,” he reported.

However, Persaud pointed out that this protracted El Nino condition has not been peculiar to Guyana and, in the Caribbean, particularly, St. Lucia, Barbados, Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago, the agriculture sector has been adversely affected as a result of the limited rainfall and the consequential reduction of irrigation water.

Parts of South America and Asia are also scorched and are affected by the drought that has created hardship for millions, he added.

“It is no secret that the global climatic environment is being increasingly characterised by extreme weather patterns,” Persaud stated, noting that, in Guyana’s case, rising sea levels from global warming pose an ominous threat to the low-lying coastal and riverain communities which lie at or below sea level.

He said Guyana has taken bold and visionary steps in addressing the threat of climate change and, under the dynamic and insightful leadership of President Bharrat Jagdeo, has been in the forefront of the global fight against it.

Persaud said, recognising the imminent threat of El Nino, the Government of Guyana moved proactively, since last year, towards establishing a national task force to deal with irrigation issues across the country.
TASK FORCE
He announced that the task force, led by the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), includes representatives from the Ministries of Agriculture, Amerindian Affairs, Health, Education, Water and Local Government, the Hydromet Service, Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), River and Sea Defence, East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC), Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), the Civil Defense Commission (CDC), Mahaica/Mahaicony/Abary Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA) and other relevant stakeholders.

Persaud said vulnerable sectors such as rice, sugar, other crops and livestock, are also part of the task force because they are mostly affected by the conditions.

He said, through this initiative, communities have derived benefit from a range of interventions and support to reduce the risk associated with drought conditions.

Emphasising that agriculture accounts for a third of Guyana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and is highly vulnerable to severe loss and damages occasioned by weather extremities, Persaud said NDIA and related entities have, therefore, developed and implemented a water management and control strategy.

He said, additionally, a contingency plan has been developed to recharge levels at the EDWC, MMA/ADA/ Tapacuma, Torani and Boerasirie water conservancies.
The NDIA and sector agencies have responded by installing irrigation pumps in vulnerable communities, excavating canals and holding/storage ponds, Persaud informed.

He said, apart from implementing scheduled irrigation supplies, the contingency plan ensures that there is an adequate supply of water at Guyana water Inc (GWI) Shelter Belt in Georgetown, which is the main source of potable supplies  in the city and its immediate environs.
AGRICULTURAL LOSSES
Persaud said part of the plan has been to mitigate the losses of farmers and, currently, his Ministry’s efforts and programmes are aimed at mitigating agricultural losses in the vicinity of several hundreds of millions of dollars.

“Obviously, at this point in time, one is unable to accurately forecast the total impact. It is expected, however, that we may be able to do this by the end of the second quarter of this year,” he asserted.

Persaud said it is significant to note that ongoing studies have been initiated by the Government, on the possibility of introducing risk insurance to include drought and flood components, for which the World Bank is, currently, analysing data collected, only this month, on the entire spectrum of agricultural activity including rice cultivation.

He said vulnerable regions have had the benefit of various forms of support, including fuel for the operation of irrigation pumps, maintaining, cleaning and excavating canals and providing tillers, generators, water pumps and digging of shallow wells in hinterland locations.

Persaud assured that, since El Nino was forecast, NDIA, MMA/ADA and other related agencies have made efforts to ensure that adequate amounts of water were stored in the conservancies and all the irrigation canals were cleared and pumps mobilised.

Towards that objective, he said efforts were made to support both the coastal and hinterland areas, with in excess of $250M having been spent and another $258M earmarked to mitigate the conditions and aid early recovery.

Persaud said the NDIA has been working closely with the regional and local democratic organs and other vulnerable agencies in mitigating the adverse conditions, for example, in the area of sugar, on which the impact could see a reduced first crop.

He also said that GWI has responded by deepening wells and, together with the regional authorities, has started to truck water supplies to strategic locations, particularly, in the hinterland.
Persaud outlined other innovations aimed at assisting farmers in the challenging situation now being faced right across the regions, including Regions Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam), Three (West Demerara/Essequibo Islands), Four (Demerara/Mahaica), Five (Mahaica/Berbice) and Six (East Berbice/Corentyne), as well as the interior.
He said the Government has also allocated $49M, which targets Regions One (Barima/Waini), Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni), Eight (Potaro/Siparuni), Nine (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo) and Ten (Upper Demerara/Berbice), because there is much concern about the availability of water in those communities.
APPROPRIATE ADAPTATION
Persaud said a special committee has been established to look at the EL Nino in the hinterland and discuss and implement measures to ensure relief and appropriate adaptation to current conditions.

He said, recently, a team from the Agriculture Ministry visited Regions One and Nine to assess the impact of El Nino and made interventions.

Persaud disclosed that there have been 200 outreach meetings over the past  weeks and, mindful of the need to provide information and assurance to the Guyanese people, all relevant authorities have been issuing numerous advisories and press releases to farmers and residents, encouraging prudent water practices and offering specific advice in utilising and conserving water.

“The Government and, specifically, the Ministry of Agriculture will continue to stay engaged until the situation abates,” he reassured.

“We will review and revise the existing contingency plan at the end of the prolonged dry spell, which is now stretching about eight months. All challenges, interventions and lessons learnt will be documented for future reference and an evaluation of the efforts will be carried out,” Persaud promised.

He underlined that, in addition to emergency interventions at this time, the focus is also on early recovery and support for those who experience losses.

“With necessary and timely interventions around the country, including the provision of planting materials and other forms of support, the Ministry expects production in the coming period and the remainder of the year to make up for any possible dip that might have been experienced in the first quarter,” Persaud said.

He saluted the resilience of farmers and commended all the stakeholders and technical officers, who have been out in the fields working together to ensure that the adverse impact of the El Nino on their livelihood are kept as minimal as possible.

“We know that the prolonged dry weather will take its toll and exact losses, but I am also supremely confident that history would judge us as having shown boldness, innovativeness and character in dealing with the present El Nino condition,” Persaud maintained.