Establishing a Multi-Sector Task Force
Georgetown:The Ministry has established a multi- sector task force which will monitor the situation on a daily basis. Teams have been deployed across the affected areas to provide real time feedback. The Ministry is inviting the Ministry of Local Government, Works and Home Affairs and GUYSUCO to be part of this Task Force.
An appeal for cooperation
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As Minister of Agriculture I am asking for cooperation among all stakeholders. I am asking farmers to cooperate with technical officers on the ground as we work to ensure that everyone has access to the limited amount of water available for distribution. We will continue to entertain all recommendations and to implement all possible mechanisms to ensure we increase water levels by pumping and letting water from different sources into the irrigation canals. This is a time for politicians to work with me and the Ministry of Agriculture to ensure we maximize availability of water to farmers. I spoke directly to Dr. Rupert Roopnarine and I have been trying to speak to Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan, the shadow Ministers of Agriculture and seek their support to ensure maximum cooperation at this time. Understandably each farmer will have their own perspective and each will have a view. There is no wrong side or right side. The NDIA and the MMA and Regional Authorities are working to source water from all possible avenues. All suggestions and recommendations are being considered and where these make sense, we are implementing them. However, the present situation means we must regulate individual pumping of water into farms. We must ensure than farmers close to water sources do not have an unfair advantage over farmers distant from the water sources. In this regards we will actively monitor all pumping from irrigation canals into individual farms and ration water to ensure that all farmers have adequate supplies for growing their crops. Farmers throughout the coast are asked to cooperate with us during this period. |
The Water Status
Farmers are currently facing water shortages for irrigation purposes. This is especially so for the rice industry. In all main rice areas, such as Black Bush Polder ( Black Bush Front Lands), (Rose hall to #51 in Region 6), No. 52/74 (Region 6), Crabwood Creek, MMA (Region 5), Leguan and Wakenaam Islands, Region 3 and Region 2 farmers are desperately trying to source water for their fields.
The water resources are adequate to service the needs, however, we need to distribute and make efficient use of this water for irrigation purposes, more so, in view of the predictions regarding the probability of continued reduced rainfall.
More than 70,000 hectares of rice land have been put under cultivation already and another 10,000 hectares have been under preparation. The low water levels are posing threats to farmers.
The Ministry of Agriculture, NDIA, has made intervention in installing one hydroflow mobile pump at Sandaka and another pump at No. 1 sideline in Crabwood creek to supplement irrigation supply to 5,000 acres. Two new engines have been installed at Manarbisi, along with one mobile hydroflow pump to service the No. 52/74 area where there are about 10,000 hectares of rice under cultivation. At Mibicuri, a complete new engine, gear drive and gear box has been installed and will be operable within 5 days to ensure the facility is operated continuously, along with a high capacity hydroflow already in operation to service another 10,000 hectares.
In Region 5, water from the main irrigation canal in the Abary Block is presently adequately providing water, but we are regulating its flow to ensure maintenance of level. In Mahaicony, we are operating the Mora Point pumps continuously and placing mobile pumps along various point of the river. In addition, we letting in water from sluices where possible, monitoring the salt water intrusion.
Similar interventions are being practiced along the Mahaica River.
The Ministry is monitoring the situation in Regions 2 and 3.
The present weather condition
The dry weather that started in September 2012 and continued to the middle of November led to low levels of water in our rivers and conservancies. The rainy interruption between the middle of November and the middle of December 2012 created problems for the sugar industry and curtailed operation in the sugar industry, but was a welcome intrusion for the rice farmers and allowed some replenishment of the conservancies. However, the dry condition re-appeared since the middle of December 2012 and has continued since.
The rainfall mean for January is between 160 mm to 200 mm, however so far we have experienced from 0 mm to 10 mm rainfall.
Weather Outlook
The dry weather is likely to continue in the next week. Average rainfall in agriculture areas are expected to be between 0 and 5 mm.
The long term prediction for the rest of January seems to indicate below normal amounts of rain and the dry season is expected to be from February.
Notwithstanding these developments, the resilience of the industry is expected to be buttressed with support from all stakeholders.
Current Weather
There are currently synoptic systems near Guiana's and Caribbean Region (the dominant present of Bermuda Azores High, coupled with dry air masses from the Sahara ) which has inhibited rainfall activity thus far in Jan 2013.
All model data thus far indicates days that these systems are likely to continue linger over within next 3 to 5 days, thus only brief isolated showers are likely to prevail over Guyana coast during this period.
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