–lest they lose current rice crop

MEMBERS of the Water Users Association of the 52/74 NDC area in East Berbice-Corentyne fear they may lose some 10,000 acres of rice due to a shortage of fuel to pump enough water to flood their fields.

The farmers are appealing to the regional authorities and the Ministry of Agriculture to look into the matter and come up with another solution to get enough fuel to the Manrabisi Irrigation pump on the banks of the Canje Creek, since two-thirds of their 15,000 acres currently under the plough is presently under threat.

According to the Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) Chairman, Mr. David Armogan, the irrigation pump was receiving its supply of fuel in batches of 20,000 gallons per trip via a fuel barge that travels up the Canje Creek and delivers to the various pump stations along the way.

However, the contractor is now being asked by the management of the Berbice Bridge to have marine insurance, which costs several million dollars, in addition to paying his fee to pass through the bridge.

Saddled with these additional costs, the contractor has said he will no longer be making the trips, since the overheads would kill him.
“The contractor said he cannot afford to make the trips anymore,” Armogan said, “since the cost of the insurance, fees to cross, and his expenses are much more than what he is being paid. So we decided to give a contract to take the fuel into the pump overland.”

NOT A VIABLE OPTION
However, the Water Users Association is contending that the option to move the fuel overland is not a viable one at this time, given the present weather conditions, and taking into consideration the distance
and capacity of the trucks being used.

“The trucks only take in about 900 gallons per trip, with the most (being) taken in for the entire last week being just 2000 gallons,
which only lasts (for) three days,” group chairman, Castro Rajab said yesterday, adding: “By this afternoon the fuel gonna finish and they can’t get in anymore because it had overnight showers and the dam get bad.”

Rajab further explained that due to the amount of rice under cultivation, the pump needs to be operating full-time, which requires a lot more fuel than what is being supplied.

“We have rice from one day to 36 days (old); and because of the inadequate fuel supply, the little water that is pumped don’t get to
reach the farmers at either 52 or 74 end,” Rajab said, “because it already use out before it can reach there. “We are already losing; the rice is red in the field; ten thousand acres (are)under threat right now.”

Keshwar Persaud,45,said he estimates he has already lost 20 percent of his 200 acres due to water not reaching his fields, and is worried that unless a better solution can be found, he may lose much more.

“The rain is not falling enough to flood the fields,” Persaud said, “but enough to damage the 66 Creek dam. And you gotta get a few days sun before anything can travel again. So, I don’t know what will happen, because right now the water not reaching by my fields.”
Persaud, who is also the Secretary of the Water Users Association, said that after each trip the truck makes whenever it rains to take in fuel, the association has to spend in excess of $100,000 to repair the dam for the next trip, a cost the association feels should be on either the region or the contractor.

FULLY AWARE
Regional Chairman Armogan said he is fully aware of the situation, and is working round-the-clock to try and find a solution that is workable for all.

“The problem is the condition of the dam in the rainy season right now, and we are trying to see if we can meet with the management of the Bridge to relax its policy at this time to facilitate the farmers, so we can get a shipment in to ease the problem,” Armogan said.
“If, not we will have to look at other solutions, such as taking in tankers on a regular barge or boat. But that will be a more costly option.

“We will continue to meet with all the relevant stakeholders to try and work out a solution. We want to make it clear we have the finances for the fuel; it’s just a matter of getting it to the pumps,” he added.

The distance from the road to the Manrabisi pump is approximately 12 miles and can be accessed either through the Skeldon Estate cultivation, or the Number 66 dam.
But presently the dam leading from the estate cultivation is impassable due to heavy rains, so this only leaves the Number 66 dam, which is in a better state. But any amount of rainfall would make some sections of that dam inaccessible.

The area presently in need of water was one of the areas that suffered from flooding late last year when the Canje Creek over-topped.