–practicing water conservation, collaboration and early preparation to protect production

FARMERS, aquaculturists and cattle rearers across Guyana are gearing up for what meteorologists are calling one of the longest El Niño seasons Guyana has ever seen.
Thousands of Guyanese in the agriculture sector are reassessing their drainage and irrigation systems, creating new ways to conserve water, and collaborating to combat the dry season.
In efforts to help farmers navigate the dry spell, the Ministry of Agriculture recently hosted an El Niño Preparedness forum earlier this week in collaboration with the Hydrometeorological Service of Guyana and the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), where officials engaged with hundreds of farmers on the best steps to take to protect crops, cattle and fisheries against the heat.
Speaking to the Guyana Chronicle following the engagement, many farmers said that while they are beginning to feel the first impacts of the dry season, early engagement by the ministry, coupled with the continued support they have seen, has left them confident that they will be able to weather the season and continue producing amidst the dry spell.

Several persons also said that through innovation, conservation and collaboration, Guyana’s agriculture sector and food security will continue to reach new heights in the months ahead.
Mahaicony farmer Marcia Morrison shared that the collaborative approach being taken ahead of the El Niño season represents continued support being offered by the government of Guyana for rice farmers.
She said: “This government always looks out for the rice farmers, the needs of the rice farmers, cattle farmers and fish farmers.”
Morrison added that while she has seen similar weather patterns in Guyana over the years, the level of preparedness and new conservation measures being taken this year is unprecedented.
The farmer related: “We had El Niños previous times before, but this one is very interesting where they capture the water so that farmers can make good uses of it and not waste.”
Morrison urged other farmers to note the importance of conserving water, adding, “I do call on farmers to come on board, plant early, and make every good use of the water. Do not waste it. Just care the water management. You just take enough water that will grow the crop. Monitor the water system and you will be able to get your produce fruitful for reaping.”
Rice farmer and member of the Cane Grove Water Users Association, Rajram Bhanedatt, stated that while he and other rice farmers in his region are not currently using large amounts of water, since the crop is in the harvesting stage, when the next crop cycle begins, which normally requires extensive amounts of water, they will better know how to manage it.
As he explained, “Presently, we already got rice, we will start reaping from next week. We do not have to use so much water right now because it is harvesting time. But coming up to the other crops now, we got to think now, we got to monitor with the water.”
Bhanedatt now aims to return to his community and engage other farmers to ensure they save water and work together when needed.

“We could advise to the other farmers, do not waste the water. It is the season coming up. It is going to be hard, and you got to share the water,” he added, noting “We could show them now that the season is going to be long. It is not a couple of days; it is going to be a couple of months. You got to keep saving your water.”
Fellow rice farmer Chateram Jagnarain of Mahaica Creek shared that the importance of collaboration and government support was reinforced earlier this year, when he and a number of other farmers in the area suffered losses from a flood.
Through government intervention, he noted that most of the farmers’ crops were saved.
“In our area, we had a massive flooding early this year. The government, Ministry of Agriculture, NDIA, MMA intervened, and we saved a lot of the crop. Most of the crop was saved, and some farmers did not get to plant,” he said.
Now, Jagnarain is looking forward to and confident in that continued collaboration.
He said: “Around this time that we are in the El Niño spell, again, Ministry of Agriculture kicked in, and they are doing an excellent job with information, from the minister, from Lionel, from NDIA, and the rest of the agencies. I am looking forward for the support.”
Jagnarain noted that communication remains strong, as his local farmers group maintains contact with regional bodies.
“We have a farmers group, which we communicate. We communicate with MMA, we communicate with NDIA, we communicate with the regional administration also. We are getting reasonable support when we talk to them. They are looking out for us. They come out and they work with us to get the job done,” he said.