Black Bush Polder flood waters receding; Cookrite Savannah cattle under threat

…as 8,000 acres of rice, cash crops affected

Flood waters are receding in the Black Bush Polder (BBP), Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), after persistent heavy rainfall.
The recent flooding caused significant challenges for residents and local agriculture, as Cookrite Savannah’s cattle face conditions of more than a foot of water, while many cash crop farmers have suffered almost total losses.

Flood waters receding
Following government intervention, water levels have begun to recede to the extent that some rice farmers are calling for irrigation water to be released into the community – a move that the BBP Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) Chairperson, Lounita Sanichar, says could be dangerous at this point in time.
According to Sanichar, despite the recent high levels of water in the cultivation area, there has been a considerable reduction in those water levels following the intervention of the Agriculture Ministry.
She says some—particularly rice farmers—are now asking for water to be released into their farmlands.
“Some of the farmers asked to release water from the Savannah, to bring water to get it to the rice now. But we asked permission from the NDIA [National Drainage and Irrigation Authority] before – we cannot bring the water in because as soon as you bring the water in, if the rain should fall, it will flood again. That is what happened the last time.” the NDC head explained.

Rice, cash crops affected; cattle disappear
The flood waters destroyed seedlings for about one-third of the 25,000 acres of rice in the four polders. Farmers have since replanted, while many of the cash crop farmers have suffered almost total losses.
Regional Vice Chairman, Zamal Hussain, visited the four polders on Wednesday to get an update on the situation and to meet with farmers. He told this publication that the Agriculture Ministry has made arrangements for cash crop farmers to receive fertilizer, and seeds are being distributed to the affected farmers.
Meanwhile, Cookrite Savannah, which is situated between the four polders and the Canje River, is currently under more than a foot of water. There are reports that cattle have disappeared as floodwaters remain high; a threat that the NDC head acknowledges.
Initially, when the BBP scheme was created, Cookrite Savannah diverted excess water away from the scheme. However, it has since been used for cattle. As many of the cattle farmers are also rice farmers, Cookrite Savannah became home to rice cultivation as the industry expanded.
Those in Cookrite Savannah are also pleading with authorities to have the water released into the main cultivation area.
No rice has survived as a result of the flood waters, and the lives of cattle are now under threat. Some farmers have been able to move some of their herds, but it has now created a conflict at Lesbeholden.
Following the concerns raised by farmers on Wednesday, arrangements were made for the police to intervene. A meeting is planned between the two sides on Thursday.
According to one rice and cattle farmer, Rabindra Ragunauth, who cultivates 150 acres of rice at Johanna, his 350 heads of cattle are at Cookrite Savannah, and the water has forced some of them to run away.
“The cattle start to walk out from there. Forty heads walk out and go away for shelter. I find about fifteen, and the rest we can’t find.”
Ragunauth said he does not think the animals were stolen, but cannot be located.

Relief efforts
Nevertheless, the recent floods in the cultivation area have prompted immediate relief efforts, including the delivery of hampers by the government to affected families, while local officials have acknowledged that the drainage system is inadequate for swift water removal, exacerbating the situation.
Even as water levels began to recede following government intervention, many agricultural fields remained submerged, threatening the crops and livelihoods of farmers in the region.a