GRDB advises rice farmers ahead of forecasted high tides

─ second series of spring tides predicted from October 24 to November 1, 2019

DPI, Guyana, Wednesday, October 23, 2019

The Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) has advised all rice farmers along the coastal belt to take the necessary precautionary measures as another series of high tides approach.

The forecasted high tides will come ashore from October 25 through November 1, 2019. On Monday, October 28, at 16:13hrs, it is expected that the effects will be most felt with the waters being at the height of 3.31 metres.

In this regard, the General Manager of GRDB, Nizam Hassan, spoke with the Department of Public Information (DPI) recently. He recommended that rice farmers, whose paddy crops are ready to be harvested, should do so immediately; given the possibility that the crops can be destroyed by saltwater inundation.

“One of the things the farmers can immediately do is harvest this paddy. Especially given that there is a possibility that this paddy could be lost with any inundation of the saltwater.” Hassan also advised farmers with produce 10 to 12 days ahead of the picking period to reap same before the high tide. “Secondly, if farmers have paddy that is 10 to 12 days before the harvesting period, I am advised by my technical personnel that they should go ahead and harvest that paddy.”

Referring specifically to the farmers in low-lying and riverine regions, the General Manager suggested that dams surrounding the rice beds should be raised. He noted that this will possibly prevent the access of water. “Any inlets into the rice field should be properly sealed from the intrusion of saltwater into the land, and then they can also raise the areas around the rice fields to prevent any of the saltwater from getting into the rice fields.”

The GRDB General Manager added that farmers can invest in other locations while emphasising clearly that these areas must not be prone to flooding.