With more than 4,000 acres of rice already dead in the Mahaicony and Mahaica areas and the crop cycle in the harvesting stage, the Mahaica-Mahaicony-Abary Agriculture Development Authority (MMA-ADA) has decided to cease the pumping of water into the system.
Speaking to Stabroek News yesterday, after a meeting with several farmers and representatives from the MMA, Region 5 Chairman Vickchand Ramphal said that while majority of the farmers would have lost their crops and are no long thinking about saving anything and only looking to receive help from the government to start the next cycle, there are some 600 acres in the two areas that would die if pumping stops. “The representative from the MMA met with them [rice farmers] also and he would’ve indicated that the MMA is no longer going to put water into the system from Wednesday,” he said, pointing out that the MMA will remove the pumps.
He said that there are still several rice, cash crop, and cattle farmers that would suffer if the water is stopped. “…Those farmers will now have to desist from saving their crops because they will not get water…,” he added, stating that there are about 200 acres in the Mahaicony area and about 400 acres in the Mahaica area that still need the water.
“Those can be saved if the MMA should continue putting water in the system. The farmers are still asking for MMA to continue the pumping because the farmers would’ve exhausted their resources,” he said, suggesting that the MMA continue pumping water for at least one more week. He also said that there are some cash crop farmers who stand to lose if the MMA does not continue the pumping.
However, David (only name given), one of the farmers in the area believes that there is enough water to help the farmers who planted late, to make it through the end of the cycle. “It gon got enough water cause everybody that de pumping and thieving the water not pumping. So now they gon got water running down all over,” he said, stating that because the farmers are not pumping anymore the water will build up in the canal. “The two days gon do cause is not nuff of them need it and all they gon need to do is flood they land and is not like anybody gonna be using the water except them,” he added.
Contacted yesterday, General Manager of the MMA-ADA Aubrey Charles confirmed that from Wednesday pumping water into the system will stop. “We are running into the harvesting season. While a few might want the water, others might not and if you continue pumping you’ll affect them,” he said, stating that the vast majority of farmers do not need water as their crops are either dead or in the harvesting stage.
Charles also cited the cost attached to the pumping and stated that it is counterproductive to expend such resources to save a small amount of rice. “Let’s say you have to spend $1,000 on pumping and you’ll save rice valued $800, then there will have to be a point in time when you stop,” he said, adding that his staff had a discussion with the farmers and an agreement was reached that they don’t need the water.
“Farmers in that area don’t pay drainage and irrigation fees and at some point in time you have to stop. You can’t just go on pumping for those farmers who planted late. The system right now is that we are trying to save as much rice as possible and that’s why we have expanded it until Wednesday,” he added, stating that the pumping was scheduled to stop since last week. He added that pumping has already been stopped in the Abary-Mahaicony area.
While the farmers will have two more days of water being pumped into the system, it has also started to rain. When Stabroek News was in the area yesterday, the rain was pouring.
