Guyana hopes to improve its water management system and in doing so, a modern drip irrigation system will be utilised to help farmers.
The drip irrigation system is the most efficient water and nutrient delivery system for growing crops, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha said on Monday during a celebratory ceremony for World Food Day.
World Food day is observed on October 16 each year and this year’s theme is “Water is life; water is food. Leave no one behind”.
Water security is threatened by flooding and water pollution and according to statistics, 70 per cent of the freshwater resource is consumed for agricultural purposes. As such, these new initiatives for drainage are being developed.
“These are systems that reduce water wastage by delivering water directly to the root zone of the crops,” Minister Mustapha said.
The system works by using a timer which monitors the water going out to the plant roots.
Water conservation is being emphasised because of the effects of climate change on the world. Guyana is currently experiencing El Nino conditions which affect water supply.
The minister reminded the public that the government has tasked the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) with conducting a drainage and irrigation project across the country to make water flow easier.
Water is a fundamental element of agriculture and food production and demand for water for agricultural use is expected to increase between 70 to 90% by 2050. This therefore means that water conservation policies to efficiently use water available must be developed, Wilmot Garnet, the country representative for the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) said too.
“This is not an automatic process, therefore it requires special policies. We need to have the political buying and the incentives we need to ensure that we engage our users not only the farmers, but users in general, and see how we can build a relationship on incentivizing contracts,” the ICCA representative said.
Meanwhile, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) country representative Dr. Gillian Smith suggests the use of technology to remedy the problem.
“Today, more than 1/3 of the world’s population is still living without safe water, smallholder farmers, particularly women, youth, indigenous people, migrants and refugees are the most vulnerable.
“We must harness the power of science, innovation, data and technology to produce more with less to make every drop count. All of us must consume and manage water more efficiently,” Dr Smith.
Guyana has committed to the sustainable development goals (SDGs) which includes actions to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure all people have nurturing peaceful lives. The country also intends to meet its 25 by 2025 food production goal and these initiatives will assist with achieving this goal.
