The May-June rainy season for 2022 is expected to be heavier than normal. This has caused Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha to voice concern for the unharvested rice crop which now faces a real risk of crop failure due to flooding.
Though the May-June rains are a very predictable weather cycle, the PPP has blamed the 20% reduction in rice production in 2021 on the floods caused by the 2021 rainy season. Now with the 2022 rainy season expected to once again be higher than normal, we can only wonder if the PPP will once again blame the predictable May-June rain cycle for missed production targets for the 2022 harvest.
Though 2022 rains are expected to be heavier than in most years, the constant march of climate change has made the progressive increase in the severity of weather cycles a very predictable trend. Considering this fact, long-term planning to account for the predicted weather difficulties is a core responsibility of the government.
The APNU+AFC’s effective planning for difficult weather led to constant growth in rice production during their time in office. Good drainage and irrigation have historically proven very effective in preventing crop failure. With Guyana having both a timely warning of changing weather patterns and vast oil revenues to respond to the challenge, blaming heavy rains is no longer an acceptable excuse for failure.
