The National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) has spent more than $300M in D&I works and providing fuel for farmers to assist with pumping of water into their fields as Government continues to undertake timely interventions to assist rice farmers in lessening the effects of the El Nino weather conditions.
The NDIA is working with the Guyana Rice Development Board, the Rice Producers Association, and other regional authorities to ensure the management of available water resources, the Agriculture Ministry has stated.
During the Agriculture Minister’s recent El Nino update to the National Assembly, he stated that part of the contingency plan has been to mitigate the losses of farmers and the Ministry’s current programmes are aimed at reducing agriculture losses.
Minister Persaud indicated that it is significant to note, as well, the ongoing studies initiated by the Government on the possibility of introducing risk insurance that will include drought and flood components.
The World Bank is currently analysing data collected only this month on the entire spectrum of agricultural activities, including rice cultivation.
Vulnerable regions in Guyana have benefitted from various forms of support, including fuel for the operation of irrigation pumps, maintaining, cleaning and excavating of irrigation canals, and providing tillers, generators, water pumps and digging of shallow wells in hinterland locations, the Agriculture Minister pointed.
Further, only recently a $400M intervention was made by Government to the
rice industry to assist farmers with input supplies and construction of paddy drying floors in all rice growing areas. Drying floors have already been commissioned in Regions Two, Three, and Six, and several others are expected to be completed soon.
In anticipation of the losses some rice farmers suffered, another $120M is
set aside for rice farmers who faced the effects of this El Nino period.
There is a loss assessment verification programme currently in progress by the GRDB, and after this is completed, the amount will be released to assist farmers who would have lost this crop due to El Nino, the Ministry said.
The Ministry and other stakeholders will continue to stay engaged until the situation abates. In addition to emergency interventions, the focus is also on early recovery and support for those who experienced losses. With necessary and timely interventions around the country, including the provision of planting material and other forms of support, the Ministry expects production  in the second crop and remainder of the year to make up for any possible dip in the first quarter.
Since El Nino conditions were predicted, the NDIA, MMA and other related agencies have made efforts to ensure adequate amounts of water were stored in the conservancies. All irrigation canals were cleared and pumps were mobilised. Efforts were made to support both the coastal and hinterland areas.
In excess of $250M has been already spent on interventions, with another $258M earmarked by the President to mitigate these conditions and aid early recovery. (GINA)