AGRICULTURE Minister Noel Holder and junior Finance Minister Jaipaul Sharma have assured farmers of the 52-74 Youth Farmers Co-op Society of government’s support as they seek to expand cultivation.

Holder, who visited the area at the request of the Office of the Prime Minister’s Region Six office, said he was impressed that 30 farmers in the area invested some $250 million to develop 3, 000 acres of land for rice cultivation.

The farmers are seeking government’s assistance, since they can plant only one crop per year, because of poor drainage and irrigation.

Ahmad Rajab, one of the farmers within the co-op, explained that they started cultivation in 2011 but due to unpredictable climate, they can do only one crop per year.

“We are only getting one crop per year, so we are asking for some help to dig out a canal. It is a lot of money we invested and when we lose a crop, it is very hard, so we are asking them to help and dig a canal, so that we can get better drainage. We only get the spring crop; they call that the big crop. The May/June crop we always miss it because of too much rainfall. Our co-op is fully functional and every piece of land is noticeably under cultivation. Lack of proper drainage is the main element stopping us from achieving two crops per year,” Rajab said.

The farmers say with proper drainage, they can expand cultivation to some 10,000 more acres, a vision that impressed Minister Holder who believes that East Berbice can double its rice production.

East Berbice currently produces 25 per cent of the 600,000 tonnes of rice Guyana produces annually. Aside from increasing rice production, the minister also wants the farmers to go into dairy production, assuring them of government’s help.

He told the farmers that the prospects of expanding rice cultivation is great, pointing out that markets are available due to efforts of government and the private sector.

PRETTY GOOD

“Where we are right now with the export market is pretty good, I mean some markets have expanded way beyond our wildest dreams; we did not expect at this stage to be exporting 180,000 tonnes to Mexico; [the] Panama market has been expanding as well; we have Cuba as a new market thanks to Rajindra and Nand Persaud and of course we have our European market. So the markets are good, we need to expand cultivation rapidly. So gone are the days when Guyana had a glut of rice with limited markets. Today, we have an abundance of markets which we have been successfully supplying; however, if additional lands are not developed or farmers do not return to their abandoned lands, there is a possibility that Guyana will not be able to supply the much-needed markets,” he said.

Holder noted that due to climate change, lots of monies were and are still being invested to enhance the drainage capacity of pump stations across the country.

The investments, he said, seek to put systems in place to maintain and increase production, and on that note, urged farmers to utilise every bit of land to make their investments profitable.

National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Fredrick Flatts, said the farmers can expect work on the canal to improve drainage to commence by June of this year.

“A proposal was submitted and I am happy to say that we are now in the procurement stages. Once things remain on schedule, works are expected to commence within the next two months,” Flatts said.

Junior Finance Minister Jaipaul Sharma commended the farmers for their initiative and investment and said he hopes with the installation of the canal to improve drainage and irrigation, they would be able to reap more benefits.

He also praised their cooperation and urged that it be replicated in all farming communities.

Guyana produces some 600,000 tonnes of rice annually of which only
50,000 tonnes is consumed locally. The remainder is exported.

The government has been able to tap into more markets and the demand for rice recently has increased, which augurs well for farmers.