Lusignan land grabbers take over cattle farmers’ land

May 17, 2015 News

Members of the Lusignan Dairy Farmers Services Cooperative Society Limited (LDFSCSL) are appealing to residents to let good sense prevail and remove from the lands on which they have begun to squat.

Several pickets were erected by squatters to demarcate plots of land on the pasture.

The squatting is being described as chaotic land grabbing.
Dozens of villagers swooped down on a plot of land at Lusignan Pasture that was leased to the dairy farmers for a 50 year period from the year 2003.
The residents, who began parceling out plots on Friday, claimed that they were instigated by a member of the previous People’s Progressive Party/Civic cabinet to occupy the land, which currently serves as a pasture where antelope grass is cultivated.
They claimed that their applications for house lots have been lying idle at the Ministry of Housing for several years and they believe that the time has come for them to take action.
“Me apply fuh house; lot look how long, and me still paying rent. Dis land belong to all ah we, not one body getting all,” one of the resident told this newspaper.
“Dis nah PPP time, dis ah Granger time,” another female resident of Lusignan remarked when told by members of the LDFSCSL that the land was private property.
The land grabbing has spread to other parts of the East Coast of Demerara,

A copy of the lease that the cattle farmers say gave them rights to the land for the next 40 years.

including Mon Repos, Enmore/Haslington and Mahaica.
“We hear that they grabbing land so we making sure that we too get our share,” one villager at Enmore told Kaieteur News.
This newspaper was reliably informed however that they were cautioned by former APNU Member of Parliament, Ernest Elliot.
The actions however come at a time when a new administration is being put in place following General and Regional Elections.
But from all indications, the move to occupy the land at Lusignan Pasture began about a week ago when persons set fire to it.
Jaibarran Seekumar, treasurer of the LDFSCSL explained that cattle farmers in the area were given access to the 52-acre plot in 1986 through the National Dairy Development Programme to cultivate grass for their animals.
This arrangement was further strengthened in 2003 by the 50-year lease.
Seekumar said that on Friday several persons descended on the land and began farming out plots.
“Dem say change of government,” Seekumar said when asked what reason the people gave for occupying the land.
He said that the police were contacted and several ranks went to the area and warned the potential squatters to back off.
However, this did not deter the residents who continued to erect pickets to demarcate their plots.
Vice Chairman of the dairy farmers’ group, Mohamed Haniff, said that it was “28 years since Burnham give dis land to the 30-odd cattle farmers here. These people who ah squat, ignore de police who come to dem peacefully.”
He said that he depends on the pasture to feed his 52 head of cattle and is hoping that whoever instigated the people will help to reverse the situation.