The devastating effects of the current El Nino phenomenon have hit rice farmers particularly hard but fortunately for them the government through the Ministry of Agriculture has been doing it’s utmost to help them get back on their feet. Only recently a national recovery programme for rice farmers was launched during visits to the rice growing islands of Leguan and Wakenaam which is yet another demonstration of the government’s commitment to assisting the agriculture sector overcome difficulties brought about by natural conditions.
The programme will see seed paddy and fertilisers distributed to the farmers who had lost their crops. This assistance will also be given countrywide.

The programme is being implemented by the Rice Producers’ Association (RPA) and Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB). Government has allocated approximately $110M towards the programme.
Minister Persaud stated that the programme is dedicated towards assisting farmers who had extreme difficulties in terms of harvesting and this would help to mitigate their losses.
The National Dairy Development Programme unit constructed and excavated ponds for 64 cattle farmers, which was appreciated by the farmers.
Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud noted that the government is spending over $16 M in Leguan, in terms of support, and this includes the purchase of seed paddy at $5,500 per bag.

He urged farmers to move quickly towards recovery and production so as to ensure that there is no significant fallout in production and to be able to meet market demands.
In addition, Minister Persaud explained that the government is encouraging agricultural diversification in Leguan and Wakenaam and the other islands.
There would be an agricultural diversification advisory group within the GRDB to work with farmers to train and identify opportunities and provide specialised advice to rice farmers.
Experts have stressed that one cannot underestimate the importance of El Niño forecasting for many regions of the world, especially for those countries in tropical regions where economic success is based on fisheries, agriculture and food production, all of which depend on weather patterns. Peru is an excellent example of a country that derives huge economic benefits from El Niño forecasting. Usually a warmer than normal year with moderate and strong El Niño onset is unfavorable for fisheries. When the state of equatorial Pacific is near normal conditions are favorable for agriculture. La Niña conditions (colder than normal ocean surface temperatures) are good for fishing, but not favorable for farmers, bringing them drought and crop failure. El Niño affects the amount of precipitation, so forecasts help to decide when it’s better to sow rice (in expected wetter periods), and when to sow cotton (in drier periods).
According to the World Meteorological Organisation, the 1997-’98 El Niño was a major factor in 1997 record high temperatures. The estimated average surface temperature for land and sea worldwide was 0.8°F higher than the 1961-1990 average of 61.7°F. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 1998 has set all-time highs of global land and ocean surface temperatures, above record high levels in 1997. In 1998 the mean temperature was 1.2°F (0.7°C) above the long-term (since 1880) mean of 56.9°F (13.8°C).
The impact of the 1997/8 El Niño has been felt in many parts of the world: Droughts have occurred in the Western Pacific Islands and Indonesia as well as in Mexico and Central America. In Indonesia drought caused uncontrollable forest fires and floods, while warm weather led to a bad fisheries season in Peru, and extreme rainfall and mud slides in southern California. Corals in the Pacific Ocean were bleached by warmer than average water, and shipping through the Panama Canal was restricted by below-average rainfall.