Rice farmers in Leguan are facing a crisis as for the first time in recent memory they have been unable to sow because of the prolonged El Niño drought.
Farmers there are at a disadvantage because there is no conservancy on the Essequibo River island. They have no other means of accessing water, except by rain or the “sweet water” from the river.
They told Stabroek News during a visit last week that “People from the government would test the water (and) if it is not too salty they would open the Koker for us to get it.”
According to them, the previous government was planning to construct a conservancy but after conducting studies and consultations they could not go ahead.
The then government was also looking at the possibility of passing the conservancy through the farmers’ private land but that meant that some farmers would have had to give up their land entirely.
The other option, residents said, was on the government reserve but farmers would have been unable to access the water.
Even though the farmers planted the last crop the price was
