Seeraj laments…
GENERAL Secretary of the Rice Producers’ Association (RPA), Mr. Dharamkumar Seeraj said, Wednesday, that the prevailing weather conditions are worrying and, if they prevail, could mean losses to farmers.
“Right now harvesting has slowed, preparation of the dams has stopped and, for the next two days, the only thing we will be able to do is drain the dams,” he said.
Seeraj said, while it is too early to estimate what the loss could be, he maintained that continuing bad weather would certainly have adverse effects.
He said the production target, for this year, is set at 4.2 million bags of paddy from 175,000 acres.
A thunderstorm in Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam) halted reaping on Monday, dams already rehabilitated were compromised and farmers had to hurriedly secure paddy that was on a drying floor.
Region Two is usually the first to begin reaping and Seeraj said Leguan, in Region Three (West Demerara/Essequibo Islands) will begin by weekend.
Other famers in Region Three are expected to start in the third week of this month and Regions Five (Mahaica/Berbice) and Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) are to follow and continue through October.
Meanwhile, the Hydrometeorological Service of the Agriculture Ministry said the La Niña phenomenon is now well established in the Pacific Ocean.
Weak La Niña conditions emerged in mid-June and gained moderate strength by mid-July.
For the September-October season, the Service forecasts an approximately 96 per cent  probability of La Niña continuing.