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Berbice rice farmers eyeing low water levels as new crop beckons
Kaieteur News – As daily high temperatures continue to scorch the country, West Coast Berbice (WCB) rice farmers are keeping a keen eye on the water level of the waterways surrounding their rice fields as they are about to head into a new crop.
Over the last few months, there has been a dry spell across the country, and various government entities have described it as one of the worst ever.
The severe heat wave has severely affected several sources of income, and the farmers are concerned about what the drought holds for their future. One farmer told this publication that, “Last crop there wasn’t a lack of water coming to the end which was good, but since we about to go into another crop if the water continues to drop like this we might got a problem.”
When the crop is nearing harvest, dry weather is needed so the earth can dry off and be able to support the weight of the combine to cut the rice. After the cutting, burning and ploughing stages, wet weather is ideal. “When field plough up and so on, we have to let water in. It’s straight to shying the paddy and a few weeks after the fertilizer,” another farmer said.
Rice being harvest in the West Coast Berbice.
He noted that when the rice plant grows to a ripened stage grown and it begins to flower, adequate water is constantly needed to keep the plants properly watered.
“Normally we get water from MMA {Mahaica Mahaicony Abary Development Agency} , they does release it from a reservoir. But the level the water is at right now we ain’t sure if it gonna reach till here. Sometimes by the time it reach Bush Lot we gonna have to wait, because if they block it off to get the level to flood they field, we gonna have to wait till they open the koker,” another farmer said.
He said that when the water level is low as what persists across the country, the water isn’t enough to submerge the tubes to pump water into the fields. He said at the rate the water is receding, it will be a miracle if there’s any left for when the crop begins.
The farmers are worried that there may be limited sources for water if the MMA/ADA is unable to accumulate water for their lands.
The current El Nino weather phenomenon is expected to continue to continue until the end of November when the Hydromet Office expects a change in conditions. Minister of Agriculture, Zulficar Mustapha has called on Guyanese to conserve water.
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