Rice farmers on the Corentyne say they are noticing strange growth patterns and pests in their rice fields, with some rice plants being attacked by worms and flies.
As such, the farmers are calling for the urgent intervention of personnel from the Ministry of Agriculture.
According to the farmers, the infestations will have adverse impacts on their yields, which they said could be reduced by five to ten bags of paddy per acre of rice cultivated.
The farmers reported that the tips of the leaves of paddy plants are becoming brightly reddish in colour, and worms have been attacking the roots of paddy plants.
This ‘red leaf’ phenomenon was observed on the leaves of some of the paddy plants last week.
Some farmers have also reported experiencing stunted paddy growth over the past month.
The discovery has also been reported to the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB).
This publication was informed that similar attacks have been experienced two crops ago at Numbers 41 and 43 villages, where significant losses were reported.
