Dear Editor,
Ever since the rainy season started, myself and other rice farmers are suffering, due to the lack of drainage of our rice fields at Better Hope, Essequibo Coast. The rainwater has accumulated in our fields over the past days, and has caused our rice plants to drown. For example, my entire field has been taken over with duckweed because of the high level of water. I have already spent over $140,000 to prepare my land and in addition, I have tried to pump the water out of the field at extra cost to myself. This was largely unsuccessful, since the drainage facilities, ie, sluices and kokers, are not maintained by the government thereby contributing to the loss of my crops.
Since 2006, we the farmers have made representation to the government for a sluice to be constructed at Better Hope because we are losing paddy at every crop because of poor drainage. We were promised the sluice by the Ministry of Agriculture via a letter dated 16.1.07. However, another letter dated 20.4.08, said that the Minister of Agriculture had been advised by NDIS and the Region 2 administration, that the newly constructed double-door sluice at Westbury would provide the needed drainage for the Better Hope rice farmers. In addition, the letter stated that the RDC would enlarge the opening of the structure at Pln Andrews to increase its drainage capacity for the Better Hope rice farmers.
Now the double-door sluice at Westbury is in operation and still the Better Hope farmers’ rice fields are flooded and there is no improvement in the drainage of our rice lands. Also, the sluice at Pln Andrews is currently silted up; the wrench is missing and there is no way water can be drained there. All of this is contributing to the loss of our crops in the Better Hope area.
Recently, I learnt that money (some $35 million) came to the Region 2 administration for the construction of the Better Hope sluice. An excavator machine to dig and widen my drainage trench and dam in order that a combine could travel easily to my fields for the harvesting of my paddy was to be sent; I was told it would cost $20,000 per hour. When I went to pay the money the next day, I was informed that my land was “disputed land” and the machine would not be sent on “disputed land.” I was very shocked and surprised because the lease for my land was issued by the Lands and Survey Commission in Georgetown, and not by the Region 2 administration.
The President is calling on farmers to grow more food and increase their production. How can we do this when we are faced with bad drainage and insensitive administrators?
A mobile pump placed beside the Pln Andrews sluice that usually assists in the drainage of excess water off the land is not working. Why is the pump not working? The Region 2 administration is not functioning efficiently. Please, Mr President, check on these officials who may be feeding you wrong information. Many times we make suggestions to government officials because we know what is happening at the grass roots level. Often times, these suggestions are pushed aside and we are plagued by the said problems year after year. We have suggested that the government should have at least three pontoons with three hymacs to clear the sling- mud from the sluice channels along the coast. Whenever there is a build-up of mud, these pontoons with the hymacs would de-silt the sluice channels.
Look at the Somerset and Berks sluice. For several years, that channel is blocked and up to now it has not been de-silted. These bureaucratic blunders and incompetence are causing serious problems within the drainage system.
We need an effective and an efficient system that works along with “we” rice farmers. Without that system, we are plagued with injustices and suffering that add to our misery.
Yours faithfully,
Indar Bacchus
Editor’s note
We are sending a copy of this letter to the Chairman of the Region Two Regional Democratic Council for any comments he might wish to make.
