SEVERE flooding in Regions Six, Nine and 10 has left many farmers and agriculture stakeholders counting their losses.
According to the respective regional heads, besides interrupting residents’ daily lives, the heavy rainfall and increased flooding has also affected the regions agriculture sector, with many reporting losses of crops and poultry.
Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle on Thursday, Chairman of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region 10, Deron Adams related that several communities along the Upper Berbice River have been under water for some days now.
“The communities are more in the Berbice River area like Kwakwani and Kuru Kururu… now the water would have reached as much as six inches in some places, some places have three inches and some have four,” Adams said, adding: “We are still having rains here in the region, so I am thinking that there will be some amount of continuous flooding. The tide is high so I don’t expect for there to be any relief today [Thursday].”

Adams related that residents in the communities have reported the loss of cash crops and other household items.
As part of efforts to offer assistance to the affected communities, Adams made contact with the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), which delivered hampers, cleaning supplies and other basic necessities to persons battling the effects of the floods.
Meanwhile, in Region Six, several farmers have also reported the loss of cash crops and livestock.
Chairman of the RDC of Region Six, David Armogan, told the Guyana Chronicle that heavy rainfall has restricted the ability of farmers to transport their paddy, since access dams and agriculture roads were severely damaged.

“Two days ago, we had heavy rainfall and we had floods in places like number 62 and 74. Water levels were high in Crabwood Creek and some of the other coastal areas like Manchester, but water receded in most of these areas,” Armogan said.
He added: “Rice farmers would have been affected, but not by flooding so much, but by the heavy rainfall and the destruction of dams…because of the heavy rainfall all of the agriculture dams are virtually destroyed.”

Fortunately for residents and farmers in the region, water has started to recede. But a few farmers are still counting their loses, Armogan related.
Meanwhile in Region Nine, the CDC and regional authorities have commenced assessments in the flood-affected areas.
A team led by Director General of the CDC, Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig, worked with representatives of the RDC and the Lethem Town Council to provide support to impacted residents.
Potable water was distributed to some persons who were, and still are, inundated by flood waters. Authorities also inspected the shelters which are housing persons who have been displaced.
The Regional Chairman of the Region Nine RDC, Brian Allicock, in a separate interview, told the Guyana Chronicle that there have been several reports about infrastructure being severely damaged; this includes roads, cassava farms, and farine and bread-making shops. Access roads are also still inundated, so a complete assessment is unlikely at this time.
“The Moco Moco farmers called in and said that their cassavas are already rotting and the Massara farmers, all them went under water for a week now,” Allicock said adding: “At the moment, we are moving out some families from the flooded areas to shelters, and we have to start supplying water and other food items for those in the shelter… then we have to prepare for those who can’t prepare for themselves, so that is where we are at the moment.”