Drought affecting farmers of St Denys
I received a phone call from Toshao Doreen Jacobus of St Denys mission, Tapakuma, last Sunday to say that the long drought which started three weeks ago has taken its toll on 35 acres of the women’s group farm which were cultivated months ago. The crops affected, she told me, are watermelon, bitter and sweet cassava, pumpkins, peppers, bananas, plantains, pineapples and other cash crops. All would be lost because of the lack of water in the Tapakuma lake and the continuing dry weather.
All these crops are in the flowering and filling stage, and since the three-door sluice at Red Lock has been released to facilitate the cultivation of rice on the coastland for the second crop of 2016, the water in the lake at St Denys has dropped considerably. The solar pump which was installed to fill the well to service the 400 households cannot operate; the residents have to fetch water from the lake to cook and wash their wares. The schoolchildren cannot use the flush toilets in the school and the health centre is running without water although patients are coming long distances.
There is a dire need for the Dawa pump to start working to fill the Tapakuma lake with sweet water from the Pomeroon river to save the crops which 4000 residents depends on for their livelihoods. I sense a greater danger if the dry weather continues because the water in the Pomeroon river will turn salty and no pumping will be possible. This means that if there is no rain all the rice sown would be lost because of the lack of irrigation water. The Ministry of Agriculture and the Chief Executive Officer of the National Drainage and Irrigation Board should make every effort to combat the present crisis.
In 1998, during my tenure as a rice extension officer with the Guyana Rice Producers Association in an El Niño period, there were recommendations relating to water for agricultural and domestic purposes in the Amerindian communities. According to the document funds could be sought to purchase items like pumps for the purposes of irrigation. The government can ask donor countries and agencies such as World Health Organization, World Food Programme, World Bank, IDB and UNICEF in order to receive assistance to combat the effect of a long dry spell.
The road leading to St Denys mission from Chinese Lock is also in a deplorable condition. Farmers have to pay minibuses high fares to bring them out to Anna Regina market and there is an additional cost for each bag of produce in the trunk of the bus. There is a shorter road which was constructed by Pauling and company from High Point, but this road is also impassable to Tapakuma. It’s a shorter distance which could help reduce the fares charged by cars and minibuses, but it needs to be upgraded. The consequences of these conditions are already being felt and many Amerindian farmers are expected to cut back on their farming. The implications for the government can be quite serious indeed.
Considering the critical nature of the current situation in St Denys mission, it will be necessary for government and the Minister of Indigenous Affairs to protect the interest of the 4000 residents and 400 households. The need for constructive dialogue between the Regional Chairman and the REO at this time, cannot be over emphasized. Recognizing the many challenges facing these interior residents, especially in times of unpredictable weather patterns, emergency measures should be put in place to alleviate their suffering. Yours faithfully, Mohamed Khan