Four rice farmers head to court for pumping water

Feb 27, 2010 News

By Leonard Gildarie

Authorities are facing an uphill task to bring irrigation water to desperate rice farmers and already four persons are set to appear before the courts on charges of illegal pumping.
In the West Demerara and Essequibo Coast, police and army ranks have been monitoring the conservancies and waterways there but it is a difficult situation, officials have admitted.
According to Region Three Chairman, Julius Faerber, four rice farmers from the Windsor Forest, West Coast Demerara, were arrested after continuously disregarding orders of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA). The four will be placed before the courts shortly, the official said.
The current El Nino condition, with less rainfall than previous years and dry conditions, has Government at its wits’ end to manage conservancy levels which have fallen to critical levels.
Over a year ago, excessive rains had the NDIA busy releasing rising waters from the conservancy; now the challenge is how to manage the dropping levels.
In the West Demerara and Essequibo, waters are being released in a systematic way to rice farmers but according to rice officials, there are widespread reports of some farmers removing structures and pumping waters when it is not their turn, affecting other farmers downstream who are desperate and depend on the gravity flow for supply.
Like in Essequibo, the police and army have been conducting patrols in the backdam areas but this has not stemmed the incidents.
Faerber, during the launching of paddy drying facility at Crane Village, West Coast Demerara yesterday, disclosed that calls from irate, affected farmers who are not getting water as a result have been on the increase.
One agriculture official, who asked not to be named yesterday, said that it is a huge problem.
“We understand that farmers are very concerned. After all, it is their livelihood. We have enough water like in Black Bush and Essequibo Coast. But it has to be distributed in the ways we advise or a lot of farmers will not be getting any.”
Recently, Faerber had warned of stern measures if farmers do not wait their turn and continue to damage structures and pump water illegally, placing the distribution in jeopardy.
Earlier this week, Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud, said that the government is raking up a hefty $3.5M bill everyday for fuel and lubricants, as 20 irrigation pumps and 27 excavators work to bring irrigation water to farmlands.
Already, the government was forced to utilise resources of the Guyana Sugar Corporation, diverting these to save other crops that are under threat.
In the hinterland areas, especially around Pomeroon, it is the plan to assist farmers and residents there with black water tanks, as there is growing evidence that the salinity content is unacceptably high, which poses a significant risk to farms.
With harvesting underway, there are still 8,000 cultivated acres that face potential damage, a grim Persaud disclosed. Cattle are also facing a rough time.
The good news is that there are still 90,000 tonnes of rice leftover that will cater to the local market, thus ensuring no shortages.
So far, the rice industry has seen $150M being plugged into it to assist farmers. This is excluding over $200M spent to conduct emergency drainage and irrigation works using government resources.
Across the country, canals were dug to bring water from non-traditional sources and these have served to ease farmers somewhat.

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Four rice farmers head to court for pumping water

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