‘Water no problem for West Berbice farmers’ - MMA/ADA assures

‘Water no problem for West Berbice farmers’ – MMA/ADA assures

Oct 17, 2023 News

Kaieteur News – The Mahaica Mahaicony Abary Agricultural Development Authority (MMAADA) has confirmed that they have a plan in place to address the El Nino crisis that has gripped the country, noting that water will be reused so as to continue the conservation efforts started last crop.

General Manager of MMAADA, Mahendranauth Ramjit

This publication spoke with General Manager, Mahendranauth Ramjit yesterday who confirmed that “the water will be recycled, rotated and reused to irrigate fields, as part of the conservation mechanisms in place. Last crop we did a lot of conservation so we have enough water to last through the entire next crop.”

He said since the Hydromet Department had indicated that El Nino can last as far as April 2024, the opportunity was taken to implement various methods to save water. “Some of the mechanisms in place include water rationing, salt monitoring in the rivers, and recycling.” He explained that recycling simply meant that water, that’s drained or overflows from one field can be used again to irrigate or flood another field if the need arises.

When asked about reservoir levels since it was a concern highlighted by the farmers, the GM noted that “we have adequate water to take us through the next crop.” He further explained that this is not the first time that they are faced with a situation like this since in 2015 there was a severe drought during the El Nino period as well and they would have pulled through quite fine.

West Coast Berbice farmers recently raised concerns about the water level in the canals surrounding their fields. Over the last few months, there has been a severe dry spell across the country. The 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 get a problem.”

During harvest in Berbice.

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.

He noted that when the rice plant grows to a ripened stage and it begins to flower, adequate water is constantly needed to keep the plants properly irrigated. “Normally we get water from MMA/ADA, 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 any is left for when the crop begins. The current El Nino weather phenomenon is expected 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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El Niño, General Manager of MMAADA, Hydromet Department, Mahaica Mahaicony Abary Agricultural Development Authority, Mahendranauth Ramjit

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