Hundreds of farmers under threat in Berbice – Regional Chairman

…as water users association unable to provide drainage services

Hundreds of rice and a large number of cash crop farmers operating in the Black Bush Polder (BBP), Berbice area and the front lands in Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) are facing extreme difficulties in sustaining their livelihoods due to the lack of drainage and irrigation services by the BBP Water Users Association.
Regional Chairman of that region, David Armogan told Guyana Times on Friday that this is by no means the fault of the BBP Water Users Association. He stated that the blame lies solely on the Government for not providing the financial support that is necessary to upkeep drainage and irrigation services.
“The areas are now under threat because the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority did not give any money to the BBP Water Users Association to clean the drainage and irrigation system so they are all clogged up. If you get heavy rainfall, it might result in flooding and if there is no rainfall and you need water to be pumped then it is not going to go anywhere. This is the only Water Users Association in the country that was not given a subvention this year but all the others were given money,” Armogan told this publication.
According to the Regional Chairman, he contacted the Agriculture Minister, Noel Holder, via telephone to notify him about the issue and that as a result, the BBP scheme would be closing, coupled with the fact that the area’s rice production is under “serious threat”. However, the response was not positive, he explained.
“He said to me when the people in Black Bush decide to pay their full rates then he will consider to see what he can do. The rates are small, $1200 per acre, which cannot sustain the expenditure in terms of keeping the scheme going and that is why all through the years, all the Governments, have been putting money in the BBP Water Users…because it is a Government responsibility to make sure that drainage and irrigation is provided for rice production.”
Armogan noted that the water that is pumped from Black Bush Polder supplies a wide range of villages in Corentyne and as such, a large number of cash crop farmers will suffer severe losses if the issue is not corrected soon.
“I have written the Minister last week, pointing out the seriousness of the issue at hand and I have carbon copied the letter to the President. I had spoken to the Minister before and every NDIA meeting I have been raising this matter. But I am told that the matter is with Cabinet and Cabinet needs to look at it but while Cabinet is pussyfooting, the scheme is suffering.”
He reminded that Berbice has always been known for its sugar, rice and cash crop production and that already, thousands of sugar workers in that region are suffering from the effects of the flailing sugar industry and closure of estates.
“We already in a situation where sugar is closed down, then now, if the rice people are closed down then we are dead. The Berbice area not only produces rice but also a lot of cash crops which people have to eat. A lot of our production also goes to Georgetown so we need this matter taken care of urgently because too many people will suffer,” Armogan added.