By Adama Makasuba
Agriculture ministry through its regional directorate has given three pump machines to Jahally and Pacharr rice farmers as an alternative mean support to an acute water shortage.
Foday Jadama, regional agricultural director, CRR South, confirmed that currently they are facing water shortage in Jahally and Pachar rice field and are isolated fields which have much to do with Pachar and Wellingara.
He added that apart from that most of the farmers, especially in Jahally, are going to harvest in two weeks.
According to him, due to the good organization of the farmers in Jahally and through their efforts, they were able to complement the efforts of the Ministry, Department, and the Regional Agricultural Directorate by desilting their canal to facilitate and enhance the flow of water.
“Yes, we have problems, some of the gates of the canals’ which are geared to manage water are not functioning well, nonetheless, at our level, we have provided pumping machines about three of it to assist where farmers cannot get water through the natural flow to pump it in,” he said.
According to the Regional Directorate, they just concluded a meeting with the farmer organization and their next effort is to help the farmer organization to be effective and efficient farmers.
“That is why we have extension workers who help with the organization and orientation for the farmers to be able to start on time and to be able to manage the fields, infrastructure and as well as to be able to contribute and complement governments support.
“Years ago, before I was posted here, the field called unit 1 and other units were not being cultivated for years but through our intervention, encouragement, and guidance, the rice field was cultivated,” he added.
Tijan Sanneh, Irrigation Engineer of the Central Project Coordinating Unit (CPCU) explained that some fields are currently facing water shortage but it has been exaggerated by the recent publication in the media.
“For Jahally, right now 80% of the field is green and most of the fields are having water though there are some exceptions which we were made to understand that those fields lack water as a result of the problem of desilting and some the field plots are high even years, those areas are not under production for tidal.
He further narrated that two years ago, there were challenges that they assessed at the Pacharr rice field, which is why areas such as units 1, 2, and 3 are going to be rehabilitated by a project call Regional Rice Value Change and those are the areas where the farmers laid complains on.
