With rice harvest expected to begin in the next couple of weeks, Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud met farmers along the West Coast at Hague Backdam and encouraged them to embrace “climate smart agriculture”.
Addressing a small gathering at the Hague Primary School, Persaud told farmers that it is important that they understand the context in which they have to operate. “We have to intensify climate smart agriculture… it cannot be business as usual,” said Persaud.
The minister told farmers that specific guidelines will be developed to pave the way for climate smart agriculture and cautioned farmers that these guidelines will be linked to assistance that the ministry will offer. Failure to comply with the guidelines means that there will be no assistance to farmers.
Meanwhile, Deputy General Manager of the Guyana Rice Development Board Madanlall Ramraj assured farmers that they will be notified about the price of rice. The board, he added, will be monitoring the price of rice on the world market and when will notify the farmers via publications in the media.
Following the addresses, farmers raised their concerns, among which were road and dam works which are desperately needed in Hague Backdam.
Farmers also pointed out that more needs to be done to make field officers more noticeable and expressed concern over the price of rice.
One farmer from Greenwich Park pointed out the need for a koker in the backdam to which the minister informed this was noted was but not budgeted for this year. According to the minister, the budget this year is 22% higher than last year with focus being on water management and agriculture diversification.
