OF the 144,323 acres of rice which were sown, approximately 122,000 acres are expected to be harvested. At the end of March, some 119,834 acres (75% of acreage is expected to be harvested) giving a production of the equivalent of 130,021 metric tons of rice. The late harvested crop will be seriously affected by water shortage and paddy bugs which affected yields and quality. With the advent of the dry weather and  water level  below gravity feeding  into the main canal, some young rice is being affected   at the moment.
Farmers who have access to irrigation water are being advised not to waste it so that other farmers can benefit in the high lands area. Some of the present crops of rice, have been seriously affected by salt which was taken directly from rivers in the past.
 It is advisable that any farmer, who anticipates pumping water into these fields, should have the water tested and if the meter reads 1,000 and above, the water should not be used.
The rice plant is particularly susceptible to salt at the early growth stage, about a month old, and at the flowering and grain-filling stage, yields will be lower, unfilled grains will be higher, and chalkiness will increase. The main problem facing the crop has been the lack of proper irrigation due to the long dry season. Some emergency measures should be put in place to alleviate the water irrigation problem.
These include the supply of irrigation water under a schedule to farmers served by the Tapakuma Conservancy and construction of a seven –door sluice between Lima and Coffee Grove, empoldering Burn Bush and the main canal to conserve more water during the out-of-crop seasons.
The average daily discharge of rain is expected to decrease, resulting in inadequate water supplies for agriculture, especially for the rice industry. El Nino weather  has not ended and there is no indication that there will  not be a recurrence of  drought-like weather conditions in Guyana. The loss of rice would create a shortfall in terms of accessing new markets; every effort should be made by the Ministry of Agriculture to assist farmers in accessing fresh water for their crops.
The Ministry of Agriculture should focus on what was done in the past year, and what new strategies should be implemented to improve the rice industry in the ensuing years. The main areas of review should include the lack of irrigation water and the continued dry weather and the areas most affected.