The government of Guyana seeks to optimize its water management system and support farmers in its conservation, with an initiative considered vital in the face of the drought that persists in the country nowadays.
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According to Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, a modern drip irrigation system will be used for this purpose, which is more efficient for crops by delivering this natural resource directly to the root zone and thus reducing waste.
He also recalled the assignment given to the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority to carry out a project throughout the country to facilitate the flow of water, at a time when Guyana is experiencing the El Niño weather phenomenon and anticipates a prolongation of the current conditions until November.
Speaking at the World Food Day ceremony on Tuesday, the representative of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, Wilmot Garnet, noted that this is a fundamental element of agriculture and food production.
According to statements quoted by the media Newsroom, he said that the demand for water for agricultural use is expected to increase by 70 to 90 percent by 2050, therefore, policies must be developed for its preservation and efficient use.
For her part, the representative in this Caribbean country of the Food and Agriculture Organization, Gillian Smith, urged to "harness the power of science, innovation, data and technology to produce more with less and make every drop count".
In recent days, Minister Mustapha called on citizens and farmworkers to conserve water, while noting, however, that the nation, whose main economic activities include agriculture, has an adequate supply of the liquid to meet essential needs.
President Mohamed Irfaan Ali also called on the population to conserve the resource and outlined emergency response plans to mitigate the impact on crops and livelihoods.