RICE harvesting on the Essequibo Coast has resumed after heavy and consistent rainfall halted the exercise last week. The pace has picked up and farmers are making use of the hot weather to reap paddy from their fields as quickly as possible.
Harvesting is at full speed in the South and central areas of the Coast while fields in the North will be ready for reaping within another week.
Access dams within the rice growing areas are in fair condition as the Regional Administration in Region 2 (Pomeroon/Supenaam) is levelling and grading dams to facilitate quick transport of the grains, by farmers, from fields to factories.
It is reported that rice factories across the Coast are offering farmers $4,000 per bag for Grades A, B and C paddy.
This crop, with some 32,500 acres under cultivation, was protected from flooding during last week’s heavy rainfall because of the efficient drainage and irrigation (D&I) network of the Administration.
For that purpose, the Administration also used mobile pumps to drain excess rainfall water from canals and fields.