MMA intervenes to help drought-affected Mahaicony farmers

By: Kristen MacKlingam

Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy and MMA Chairman Rudolph Gajraj in discussion with Mahaicony farmers

Farmers in Mahaicony continue to face severe problems because of the dry weather pattern that has been ongoing over the past few months.  Many have constantly cried out that they are unable to access enough water for their farmlands; resulting in their crops dying or becoming damaged.
However, the rice farmers are feeling the brunt of the situation presently, since they are depending on large amounts of water to “soak” their lands as part of the harvesting process.
Guyana Times International visited the Mahaicony area last Saturday and spoke with some of these farmers who were seen pumping water into their fields and farmlands.  One farmer explained that he needs to soak the area where his rice is for at least the next two weeks.
“I need to pump water to ensure that my land with rice has water in it until the next few weeks pass and they reach the next stage. Basically, I will need water here for about the next 80 days, and by then my rice will be ready for reaping. The Mahaica/Mahaicony/Abary (MMA) office has been helping us to get water here,” he noted.
He explained that while the regional authorities have provided relief for him and other rice farmers by pumping water from the Mahaicony River, more could be done.
Relief
Meanwhile, another rice farmer who identified himself as Jewan Gobin of Yarrow Creek, Mahaicony, told this newspaper that much relief has been brought to him and other farmers in the area by the MMA. He explained that when the dry weather began to have harsh effects on their rice fields, such interventions had not yet been in place.  This, he said, should have been taken into consideration beforehand, since the region was aware that farmers would be faced with this plight.
According to another farmer, the pump station had encountered some problems and had to be repaired while the harsh weather condition was having a major impact on the rice fields.
Only for emergency
However, Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy in an interview last Saturday afternoon told Guyana Times International that this pump station is hardly ever opened because it is only used for “emergencies”. Therefore, it is not required to be functioning frequently since this is one of the rarest occasions where farmers have been suffering due to drought.
“This pump station is used when there is a major crisis to pump in water from the Mahaicony River into the internal channels.  This in turn, supplies all the farmers with water so that they can use it in their rice fields and lands,” the minister said.
He also explained that areas such as Champagne and Burma were the most affected, although other locations suffered because of inclement weather. He went on to explain that “it is important at this time for farmers to recognise that with water coming from the Mora Point pumps, and this being the only source of water right now, the water has to be shared.”
Minister Ramsammy further stated that this is the rainy season, and while farmers are being faced with such challenges surrounding the weather pattern, it will be worse in the upcoming dry season.