Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud is urging all local government authorities and other stakeholders to expedite dam maintenance in rice growing regions to allow farmers to harvest during opportunity days.
According to a release, the Ministry of Agriculture, through the National Drain-age and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), has been providing support to a number of rice growing areas to facilitate harvesting. These works include mainly dam maintenance since rice farmers need improved access to transport paddy out of their fields. It is also an ongoing excise by the NDIA to ensure rice farmers harvest their crops during periods when the weather is ideal to avoid any undue hardships and loss of crop.
In Region Two, 80% of works have been carried out by the Drainage and Irrigation Department which is made up of the NDIA and the Regional Democratic Council, the release said. Works on dams have
