With the commencement of paddy harvesting in Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne), damage due to paddy bugs has so far been recorded at 10 percent. However, farmers are expecting to get better results as harvesting continues.
Harvest commences
Just less than two percent of the crop has been harvested so far, with over 24,400 hectares of rice under cultivation for the current crop. An average of 40 bags per acre is being harvested.
However, paddy bug infestation has been a major concern for rice farmers, especially last year, when millions were lost.
In fact, collectively, rice farmers had spent in excess of $1.5B last year to control the bugs. Nevertheless, President of the Guyana Rice Producers Association (RPA), Leeka Rambrich, has noted that the current situation is not worrying, despite the 10 percent damage.
“We have seen the first set of harvesting coming into the mills with very high paddy bug damage, over ten percent, but we are averaging off presently five to four percent. Think that is a good indication. It is always expected that in the first harvesting there is a high incidence of paddy bugs. We are still at the initial stage of harvesting, harvesting has just commenced,” Rambrich emphasised.
The RPA President has called on farmers not to be alarmed. “We are anticipating an average in the Region of about three percent damage,” he said.
Harvesting has commenced in Black Bush Polder and in the front lands in the No. 52/74 Corentyne areas. However, the access to fields is a major concern at this time.
According to Rambrich, because of the state of some of the access dams, farmers are finding it very difficult to harvest.
“In some instances, they have to use two and three tractors to pull one bulk load of paddy. It is not economical, but this is the way that they have to do it,” he explained.
The RPA has discussed the issue with Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha.
Cabinet has recently approved $29 million for rehabilitation works to access dams in Regions Two, Three, Five and Six.
