Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) rice farmers continue to battle a severe case of paddy bug infestation which has recently plagued them, causing loses in their crops and revenue.
In a strange case, the paddy bugs have attacked and continue to suck the nutrients of the young rice plants.
In combating the infestation, farmers continue to spray and conduct demonstrations, especially in the evenings when it is believed the bugs are more prevalent.
“The bugs are still in the field, not as thick as before but… they are affecting the young rice plants,” a concerned rice farmer from Perseverance, Region Two stated.
The spraying exercises are being conducted between 16:00h and 17:00h with the use of motor blowers.
When Guyana Times visited rice farmers in the Annandale and Capoey areas, they related that every three days they have to spray for the insects.
However, since the spraying is being done privately with the use of pesticides purchased by the farmers, they are now worried since more money from their rice budget has to be spent on buying pesticides.
An Essequibo Coast farmer spraying his crop for bugs
On August 5, 2017, this publication first reported the paddy bug infestation in an article titled “Region Two rice farmers battling paddy bugs”, where it was revealed that regular field visits by the Board were “seldom”.
This prompted the farmers to call on the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) field staff to be more visible and to offer their expertise.
However, the GRBD denied that its field officers were not providing adequate advice for rice farmers in Region Two.
According to the GRDB, a team of officers including an entomologists visited the region as recent as July 24 and 25, 2017, for outreach sessions at Hibernia, Airy Hall, Cullen, Aberdeen, Devonshire Castle and Maria’s Delight, which saw some 76 farmer attending. The GRDB claimed that outreach sessions were also held with farmers of Adventure, Pert, New Road, Vilvoorden, Sommerset, Lima and Columbia, Region Two.
The farmers are however calling on the Agriculture Ministry to provide them with the much needed assistance.
