Agriculture Ministry reaches out to struggling Wakenaam farmers

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A canal at Wakenaam
A canal at Wakenaam

The Agriculture Ministry through the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) has come to the rescue of farmers on the island of Wakenaam, who are suffering from a water crisis.
Junior Agriculture Minister Ali Baksh said two three-feet tubes will be deployed to the area to assist in the smooth flow of water onto farmlands on the west and eastern sides of the island.
Baksh, who was accompanied by NDIA Chief Executive Officer Lionel Wordsworth and a team of regional officials, told scores of frustrated farmers of the move to save some 1000 acres of rice lands in various areas on the island.
He said given the island’s geographical location and the change in the climate, there is a drastic change in the trend of things. The minister said sourcing water from the low lands to the high areas is a costly exercise, but the ministry remains committed to bringing relief to farmers.
Baksh noted that currently water is being pumped from the Dawa Pump Station to Tapakuma in Region Two, and it is costing the ministry some Gy$20,000 per hour, and the pumping is required for about eight to 10 hours per day.
He said government’s resources are limited, as such, farmers need to cooperate.
According to Wakenaam Neighbourhood Democratic Council Chairman Zahir Khan, farmers are proposing that a culvert be built at Sanoci, so that they can have a reliable water supply.
Khan, who is representing the farmers in his area, said different dams in various areas will have to be cut to allow easy flow of water to rice lands in the east. He said Wakenaam rice farmers are facing a serious water crisis, due to the dry spell. Farmers, he said, will lose in excess of 1000 acres of rice crop if the matter is not resolved within a week’s time.

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