Rainfall over the next few days is expected to be intermittent but a prolonged wet season is forecasted, and the Agriculture Ministry says it is spending millions in preparation for this.
At a press briefing on Tuesday in the Agriculture Ministry boardroom, Minister Robert Persaud told the media that preparations for the rainy season began immediately after the mid-year rains that extended into August.
The minister said the latest report from the Hydrometeorological Office was that there would be a prolonged wet season. He said his concern was the intensity of the rains.
Already the Guyana Sugar Corporation is projecting a shortfall in production as a result of the likely impact of the rainfall on reaping and harvesting. Apart from the weather affecting Guysuco, there is also a low worker turnout.
“I see these as factors which could affect us meeting those (sugar production) targets,” said the minister. When the US$180 million Skeldon Sugar Modernisation Project comes on stream next year, Guysuco is expected to push sugar production to 450,000 metric tonnes, and Persaud noted that private cane cutters are being counted on to achieve this target.
In a breakdown of monies funding preparation for the rains in the various regions, he said Region One was given close to $5 million; Region Two, $117 million; Region Three, $88 million; Region Four, $200 million; Region Five, $154 million; Region Six, $57 million; and Region 10, $35 million. These sums do not include expenditure on capital works.
“I cannot tell you now that there will be no flooding,” Persaud said, adding that there are low-lying areas that are vulnerable. He said the sums mentioned are being expended on maintenance of canals, since they are used as garbage bins, and on weed control.
