Innovating Food Production with Drip Irrigation in Guyanese Prisons

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 By: F2F Guyana Volunteer, John Tiedeman - Redding, CA

My assignment with the F2F Guyana program was from Jan 15 - 29, 2023. The focus was to introduce drip irrigation on prison farms to increase food production for people experiencing incarceration. An additional goal was to provide training to prison staff and the people who were incarcerated.

The conditions for drip irrigation on orchard and vegetable crops at Timehri prison were well-suited for drip:   sandy soils and limited water supply. Due to lack of regular irrigation, crops in full sun were stunted or dead. Hand watering and portable lawn sprinklers make it difficult to maintain consistent, uniform irrigation required on sandy soils (low water holding capacity).

We set up a small gravity-fed drip system to demonstrate the uniform application possible with drip irrigation. Other methods attempted (flooding, small holes drilled in pvc pipe) have proven unsuccessful.

Our next step was to measure both pressure and flowrate from the existing booster pumped used for sprinklers. This provided the basis of design for the 1.5 acre orchard drip system (original request).    We prepared a design schematic along with a list of materials. A challenge in Guyana is that polyethylene tubing and drip emitters are not available through existing supply channels. The prison authority will have to authorize import of materials based on our design. PVC pipe is readily available and can be used up to the field edge.   

A separate training was conducted on level surveying - a basic skill for measuring elevations - applicable for farm planning and design, as well as building construction.

A challenge to successful project implementation can be lack of support from authorities, such as prison management.   Prison officers and the people who were incarcerated at the time were eager to learn, and quick to recognize the advantages of drip irrigation for their farm conditions.   Materials (tubing, valves, fittings, emitters) must be imported, requiring approved purchase orders through channels. This could be the major barrier to implementation. The technology is right, but administrative support is essential.

It was a rewarding experience to see the conditions on the ground so well-suited to the technology of drip irrigation. There is also a need for basic training on pipeline and drip irrigation hydraulics.   This knowledge is needed for independent design of systems: pipe sizing and flow capacity, friction loss, emitter performance, basic pump functions.    

My two weeks in Guyana were an enriching cultural experience. The Guyanese people are hard-working, friendly, and quick to laugh. Their potential is great.



Location: Guyana

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