It is easy to understand why seasonal weather patterns often coincide with changing demeanour among farmers in some regions of Guyana. Region Six is one such Region. Too little or too much rain can radically alter the seasonal fortunes of farming communities and in far too many of those communities there is little that the farmers can do but brood and hope that the impact of inclement weather on their livelihoods, this time around, will not be as severe as on the preceding occasion. Inhospitable weather conditions can impact every aspect of farming, from land preparation to harvesting and when the worst extremes materialize, the impact on the lives and the livelihoods of the farming families can be devastating. Two weeks ago, in pockets of farming communities in parts of the Corentyne Coast, the weather and its impact on farming was plain for all to see. At Bengal, (the name reportedly given to the community by the Indian Immigrants who were given land after the end of their period of indenture) the farmers were brooding. They sat outdoors, grimly contemplating the consequences of a weather pattern which, they said, had persisted for three ‘back-to-back’ years.
