Latest update June 15th, 2026 1:01 AM
MMA relaxes irrigation rules
The Mahaica Mahaicony Abary/Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA) is prepared to relax its restrictions on the use of irrigation pumps in some of its channels in order to help farmers secure their crops in the prevailing El Nino weather conditions.
The area in which this “flexibility” will be allowed is the Abary/Berbice block.
Chairman of the MMA/ADA, Rudolph Gajraj, who made this announcement yesterday, however added that farmers who need to irrigate or replenish their fields by pump irrigation must first seek approval from the Authority.
He said that their request will be investigated on a case-by-case basis. Permission will be granted once they can prove that the normal method of irrigation by gravity in their particular location is not possible.
He said, yesterday, that rice cultivation for which the MMA is expected to deliver irrigation is currently ongoing in three huge blocks namely: The Abary/Berbice block, the Mahaicony /Abary block and the Mahaica/Mahaicony block.
At the moment, the ability of the MMA to provide normal irrigation services is being heavily tested in the Mahaicony/Abary and the Mahaica/Mahaicony blocks and to a lesser extent the Abary/Berbice block due to the prevailing dry weather.
Mr Gajraj explained that he was confident that the water in the Abary Conservancy which provides irrigation for rice plots in the Abary/Berbice block, was adequate to provide farmers in low lying areas by gravity flow.
“We are however mindful that there are some areas in this block where rice has been planted on lands which are relatively high and cannot be served by gravity flow .
“These are the areas where farmers can feel free to seek permission to save their crops by resorting to pump irrigation,” he said.
He said that irrigation for this spring crop is normally expected up to early March..
He again called on farmers within the MMA areas to be careful in the use of the available irrigation supplies, so that these could prove to be adequate for taking all of their crops to the end of the El Nino period, projected to be some time in March.
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