…Head of Climate Change and Adaptation Unit, Mr. Bissasar Chintamanie
Focus on new concepts and technologies in the agriculture sector, according to the Head of the Climate Change and Adaptation Unit, Mr. Bissasar Chintamanie, translates largely to focus on climate change adaptation mechanisms. In an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, he said irrigation and water management is a major issue in considering climate change adaptation and added that several of the new concepts being piloted revolve around this point.
“Climate change makes water management very key because water scarcity, due to the global phenomenon’s effects, will be an issue that will attract increasing attention,” he said.
Chintamanie added that in the next 20 to 50 years, water management will significantly impact the sustainability of food production.
On this note, he stated that the focus that his Unit supports is new water management techniques, expressly considering that agriculture sector stakeholders concur that agriculture is essentially the production of food.
According to him the primary new technologies include:
•    The use of Micro-Sprinkler Systems, which will allow reduced wastage of water and uniform distribution in farms;
•    Different Sprinkler Systems in one field, which allow for a duplication of the ‘rainfall effect’ and effective management of water resources; and
•    The Drip-Irrigation System, which allows timely and consistent distribution of water along the root zones of plants, uniform distribution, and reduction of wastage.

Chintamanie explained that there are other adaptation strategies to address, particularly the increase in temperature, which include the use of semi-greenhouses and shade houses.

Additionally, to support the successful establishment of crops, he said the seedling house is a concept that is being demonstrated at the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI).
“The idea is to grow seedlings under protected conditions against the intense sunlight, insects, diseases and rainfall…in this controlled environment the plants have a two week jump so farmers are able to harvest earlier and the produce is healthy and of good quality,” Chintamanie said.
The Unit Head pointed out too that compositing is another method, which uses animal and plant waste in a sustainable way to improve the soil nutrient capacity.
He said there is regular composting and vermicompost, which is essentially the use of worms to break down organic matter.
“The broken down organic matter helps the soil quality, in terms of the nutrient content, and the soil texture,” he said.

In his capacity as Head of Extension Services – Crops, Chintamanie noted that the new technologies and concepts go a long way in impacting persons at the ground level, who are involved in the agriculture sector.

TECHNOLOGY IMPACT
“They (the farmers) are better able to adjust to climate change and do their part to maintain the level of production we have in the sector right now,” he said.
According to Chintamanie, the 14 demonstration facilities that NARI plans to establish in the 10 regions will improve farmers’ access to training in the different areas of crop production.
“This move is important because with the new age of technology, farmers should be able to transform technologies at the ground level for a general improvement in the sector…we develop the technologies, the farmers buy in and they adapt,” he said.
He observed that the methods advanced have to be practical, effective and sustainable for there to be any improvements.

Chintamanie added that the Farmer Field Schools are another avenue through which the new concepts and technologies are advanced to affect change in the sector, change that is needed because of climate change, change that is needed to ensure that Guyana can adapt to the effects of climate change.