RICE farmers in Region Three (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara), especially those on the islands of Leguan and Wakenaam, are in a dilemma to repay bank loans following extensive losses. The El Nino phenomenon has, for months now, taken a toll on the farmers, most of whom depend solely on rice for their livelihood.“We are only hoping that the Ministry of Agriculture, ultimately the Government, would assist farmers so they can get back on their feet for the next crop,” Regional Chairman Julius Faerber told the Chronicle on Sunday.

“There has been extensive loss in the region, particularly in Leguan and Wakenaam. It is very disheartening to know of the situation in those two islands. This situation has been ongoing for a couple of months now,” Faerber said.

The Chairman also said that Government has since been written to on the situation, and a request has been made for a high-level team to visit the affected areas.

“The Government can assist the farmers with soft loans and other financial compensation. In excess of 300 acres of rice were planted in Wakenaam, while about 150 acres were planted in Leguan. Almost all of that has been damaged,” Faerber disclosed.

President David Granger had earlier this month met with key ministers and stakeholders to facilitate increased ministerial collaboration for the scaling-up of plans to prepare for future cycles of dry weather. At that meeting, President Granger had instructed that a ministerial task force be set up, under the leadership of the Ministry of Agriculture, to be responsible for the creation of an action plan that focuses on immediate relief for affected communities.

The task force will also focus on medium and long-term plans, including the drilling of additional wells and increased water harvesting when the rainy season returns.

Within the ministries, all of the key agencies with responsibility for various aspects of tackling the El Niño impact will participate in the work of the task force. This includes the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), and the Regional Democratic Councils (RDC).

The Ministry of Public Health would provide a representative on the task force to focus on potential risks of the outbreak of water-borne illnesses and monitor other health-related issues.

During the meeting, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon; Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock; Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Raphael Trotman; Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder; Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan; and the Director of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), Colonel (retd) Chabilall Ramsarup, provided the President with updates on the situation and the work that their respective ministries and agency has been doing to tackle the now 10-month-old dry spell.

It was noted that Region Nine (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo) is the worst affected area. However, Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam), Region Three (Essequibo Islands/ West Demerara), Region Five (Mahaica/Berbice), and Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) are also affected in varying degrees, particularly in rice farming and agricultural areas.