East Berbice rice farmers face millions in losses as GuySuCo blocks waterway

Jan 25, 2016 News

Rice farmers on the East Coast of Berbice, along the No. 19 road, are appealing for help as they are on the verge of losing millions of dollars in their rice crop after GuySuCo cut off a water supply.
The rice fields which are at varying stages of growth badly need water and some plants have begun to wither.
The main reason for the farmers’ plight is the action taken by the GuySuCo, Rose Hall Estate.
The sugar estate used hymacs to block a waterway that allows water to flow into the rice fields. The estate also depends on this source of water for the sugar crops.
The move has left the farmers who had already planted their rice, in a dilemma.
They allege that no one from GuySuCo informed them of this move.

The GuySuCo waterway that is just a few yards away from the farmers’ rice fields

The farmers say they have contacted GuySuCo and were told that nothing could be done by the Sugar Corporation. They contacted the Regional Administration and were told that they have no say in what was happening.
The farmers said that they subsequently contacted Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Gobin Harbajan who sent then back to GuySuCo and subsequently told them that there was not much he could do.
Meanwhile, thousands of acres have been abandoned since the farmers cannot cultivate the land due to a lack of water.
However, some had already ploughed their fields and had incurred thousands of dollars in losses. To prepare an acre of rice land including, plowing, sowing and fertilizing reportedly cost between $50,000 to $80,000.
Bags of fertilizers have been bought and stocked.