Latest update November 13th, 2024 1:00 AM
Lima farmers suffer tremendous loss to constant flooding
Flooded field in Lima
Distraught Lima farmers who have lost some 60 acres of cultivated rice lands to flooding are unsure about venturing back into rice for the upcoming crop, come July.
The farmers said that the spring crop, planting for which began last October, was a good one. Today, almost 130 days later, the farmers have suffered tremendous losses to their crop which was ready to be harvested. They are blaming the floods.
Farmers complained of being gravely affected by a depilated koker at Lima, which they argued also contributed to their lands being constantly submerged.
This newspaper revisited the affected farmers at Lima, yesterday and observed the stagnant water on the fields. The farmers stressed that for almost two weeks they have been trying to salvage thousands of acres that were ready to be reaped.
However, due to problems with the main access road, at Lima they have been unable to harvest.
“Rice ready fuh reap, but the dam is bad. There is no access road to bring out the paddy.”
The irate farmers claimed that another area of concern is the koker. If they do not get any relief through the koker they are reluctant to commence sowing for the coming spring crop.
They are afraid that they will be confronted with the same problem of losing their crop.
‘If the koker is not working, we go keep pushing we hand in water and we will definitely lose again.”
According to one farmer, several times the Lima area was disilted by the Region Two administration. The first two operations, he said, was however a total waste of time.
“Millions of dollars were spent to clear the most affected, vulnerable outfalls, along the Coast, and those works were executed at a time when the Lima area was heavily submerged,” the farmer said.
Another farmer, who said that he is at present renting 17 acres of rice lands, has lost the entire cultivation due to the land being submerged for almost 130 days.
The farmer said that a body of the affected farmers in the Lima area visited the Region Two branch of the Guyana Rice Development Board. To date they have got no proper response.
“I take a loan from the bank and have lost my crop eventually.”
Regional Vice Chairman, Vishnu Samaroo, said that despite the sluice being cleared on three consecutive occasions last year, by both a hymac and a pontoon, there is still evidence of accumulation which has blocked the outfall.
Samaroo added that the heavy rainfall has caused a further build up in the Agricultural areas. He however, noted that pumps are working on a 24-hour basis. There have been meetings with D&I officials and officials of the administration.
Last February last, at Golden Fleece, 3,000 acres of rice land was severely affected due to the overflowing of the savannahs. The breach which is now sealed is constantly monitored by a contractor who has since been contracted by the Region Two administration to oversee work in that area.
Other affected areas are the Charity Housing Scheme area. (Yannason Duncan)
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