THE first rice crop this year saw one of the largest acreages ever put under cultivation, despite challenges.

However, this is at a time when the industry is under severe stress due to the unavailability of irrigation water and the dry weather currently being experienced, Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy reported.
In a Wednesday interview with the Guyana Chronicle, at his Regent Road, Georgetown office, he said: “Because of the dry weather, there is a severe water shortage, throughout the country but particularly in Regions 5 and 6. But we are making various interventions because, at this very moment, about 70,000 hectares of rice have already been put under cultivation and we expect some more land to be cultivated.”
The minister indicated that the current weather pattern is dominated by the neutral condition, which means it is likely there will be either a normal or below normal amount of rainfall. Presently, though, it seems like the pattern is below normal.
He said: “We will have periods of very dry weather and that is going to be interrupted by some periods of heavy rainfall which creates a problem for us. We don’t have enough water and the thing is that, if we allow too much water into the system from the irrigation canals, we have to ensure that we preserve and don’t use it all one time.”
Ramsammy pointed out that famers need to make judgements in using irrigation water since, when some of them want they do not think about the time they will need again.
He recalled that, a few weeks ago, the Black Bush Polder (Corentyne.Berbice) area experienced some flooding and one of the reasons for it was that there was a demand for water to irrigate, so the irrigation canals were flooded but when the rain came there was no space to drain the water.
Problem exists
He said a problem exists because there is not enough water in the conservancies, so rice farmers are faced with drought like conditions.
“Because of these dry conditions, for rice farmers who have sown their crops, this is the time they need water. Rain is not giving them water and, therefore, we have to bring in water from irrigation sources,” he explained.
Ramsammy said, in Region 6 (East Berbice/Corentyne), irrigation water comes solely from pumping, because that Region does not have a conservancy like others.
He said most of the water for Region 6 has to be secured directly from the Canje River. However, they have to be careful when doing this because, if too much is taken, it could risk salt water entering the fields.
The minister added that, in prolonged dry periods, the irrigation pumps are utilised a lot and those have been operating for a long time. Therefore, under dry conditions where they have to be running continuously, they are under stress and sometimes they do not operate to full capacity.
“Clearly it’s a problem and we can do with some rain at this time to help the situation. But we continue to pump, we’re putting some mobile pumps and we are bringing in a couple of new engines to make the pumping operation a little more efficient in that area,” he said.
Ramsammy related that Regions 2 (Pomeroon/Supenaam) and 3 (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara) are both managing better as it relates to getting irrigation water.
He said Region 2 gets mainly from the Ituribisi and Tapakuma Lakes, which come from the Pomeroon River through Dawa pumps, while Region 3 is supplied from Boeraserie Creek.
Experiencing difficulties
Additionally, he said some provisions have been put in place for Region 4 (Demerara/Mahaica) because several farmers in Cane Grove were experiencing difficulties.
“I think we have sufficiently intervened and they are having a continuous supply, probably not as much as they want but enough to satisfy their needs,” Ramsammy concluded.
However, the Minister said Region 5 (Mahaica/Berbice) has expected problems since a large area is  under rice cultivation there.
He said farmers in the Abary block have been receiving water from the main canal but that has been rapidly depleting and, if the dry weather persists, it will create a problem.
Ramsammy admitted that the Mahaicony and Mahaica blocks are both under severe stress.
“These two areas get water from the Mahaica and Mahaicony creeks. The problem there is, as you pull water from the river, particularly at low tide, you’re going to deal with salt water creeping in,” he noted.
Consequently, he said the sluices have to be properly managed in order to ensure that that salt water does not enter and the salinity in it is checked by the hour.
Incidentally, Ramsammy noted that this crop follows the most successful rice production year in Guyana’s history, when 422,058 tonnes were produced, bypassing the annual target of 412,225 tonnes.
He revealed that Region 5 was the “star performer”, recording 157,286 tonnes, followed by Region 6 with 107,353 tonnes. Farmers in Regions 2 and 3 produced 87,322 and 48,000 tonnes, respectively.
Of what was produced, Ramsammy said 334,141 tonnes have been exported for 2012 but that figure will increase, as presently, approximately between 15,000 and 20,000 additional tones, from last year, are being shipped.
Guyana’s main rice importer, Venezuela accounted for 221,724 tonnes which represents about 60 percent of exports.
Venezuelan market
He also said that, while the amount sent to some other traditional markets, particularly Europe, has reduced, it is important to note that the reduction is not due to the Europeans wanting less of Guyana’s rice but, rather, because local famers prefer the Venezuelan market.
The minister said the annual production target for this year has been set at 412,000 tonnes and, as an even bigger production than last year is expected, more rice would be sent to traditional ones, although it is important to maintain all markets.
“Venezuela will not be able to buy all our rice and, therefore, since we produce much more than Venezuela will buy, we need to ensure that we keep the other markets because, as we produce more and more rice, we will have to have those alternative markets,” he accepted.
For that reason, he announced that there is a meeting today, between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to investigate not only how to strengthen the traditional markets but to explore additional ones.
Ramsammy said, as the rice industry continues to flourish, he predicted it will achieve 500,000 tonnes before 2015, an ambition which was set for 2020.