-Outreaches planned to empower farmers
SEVERAL interventions have been made to assist rice farmers to bring more lands under cultivation, according to Agriculture Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, who added that the outreaches involving, both, ministers and technical staff are planned to further empower farmers.
In an invited comment, Ramsammy stated that the most recent intervention was made in Nismes, Region Three (Essequibo Islands/ West Demerara).
Farmers in the area were unable to access sufficient water to begin cultivation of the next rice crop, owing to the fact that a canal managed by the Region was blocked.
Ramsammy said, “The matter was resolved quickly. The National Drainage and Irrigation Authority(NDIA) was able to respond and the canal was cleaned to ensure that water management is not a problem.”

WATER MANAGEMENT

He stressed that responding to issues in water management is a major priority for the Agriculture Ministry, particularly in light of the fact that there has been a low level of rainfall recently.
The minister added that the ministry is taking a proactive approach to offer some protection to farmers and other stakeholders who may suffer in the event of flooding.
He observed that these support measures are expected to see farmers accelerating the cultivation, as well as maximising on the cultivation of their lands.
In Region 2(Pomeroon/ Supenaam), the cultivation of the rice crop is ahead of the other regions, and according to Ramsammy, farmers there also have a problem with access to water for their fields.
“We approved $3M for the procurement of oil and gas for the Dawa pump station to help farmers with access to adequate water,” he said.
Ramsammy added that five pumps in Region 6 (East Berbice/ Corentyne) have received the attention of the ministry and while three are currently operational, the others will also be by early next week.
According to him, the moves to address water management problems are not only addressing the needs of farmers, but are also stepping up preparations for flood conditions.
“The reports we have indicate that we might have 60 per cent increase in rainfall in the coming season,” Ramsammy said.
He maintains that the Ministry of Agriculture is working diligently to ensure that farmers are able to fully utilise their acreages and have a successful rice crop, adding that, the sector expects to have a bumper next crop.