Mahaica farmers express frustration with flooding

Feb 14, 2009 News

…receive substantial material assistance

By Tusika Martin
While farmers at Mahaica received substantial material assistance yesterday, with promises of further support next week, this did not spare Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud from a “cussing to the pulp,” as farmers expressed their frustration over the recent flooding.

Yesterday, in an unexpected move, Little Baiabu, Mahaica farmer Khemraj Ganchand, also called ‘Jim Jones’, squared off with the minister as he accused the administration of purposely flooding their farmlands.

He told the minister that had the rains caused the excess flooding, it would have been accepted; but the fact that the flooding was caused as a result of the draining of the conservancy is very much unacceptable.

The farmer said that little assistance was given to residents in the area as they fended to continue their livelihoods, send their children to school, while at the same time tried to recuperate from the floods.

Ganchand, with the support of other residents, pointed out to the minister that they did not receive any proper initial support after the water from the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) was released into their community.

Minister Persaud, who remained quite during the ordeal, eventually told farmers that for the next four weeks he would arrange for systems to be put in place to transport their children to school.

There were many complaints yesterday about the effects of the flooding and lack of support from the authorities. During the meeting, there were some concerns raised about the distribution procedure of assistance to farmers.
However, after much deliberation, the system of distribution was agreed upon.

Fifteen different types of seeds were distributed yesterday, including bora, eggplant, watermelon, tomatoes and cucumber.

Three types of chemicals, spray cans and 145 bags of urea were taken to the area yesterday. Speaking with the farmers, the minister said that there are some problems in sourcing the chemicals.
He said that Caribbean Chemicals, the company which has the tender to supply, did not have the quantity of chemicals required.

Mahaica, Mahaicony and Abary areas, he noted, will receive the bulk of the support under the Farmers’ Assistance Programme.

Yesterday, farmers requested that the fruit plants taken yesterday be traded for cutlass, files and forks.
They were assured that the farming tools will be distributed to them next week. A fuel distribution system will be worked out shortly with farmers from the area.

Meanwhile, Head of the New Guyana Marketing Corporation, Nizam Hassan, said that currently there is a shortage of watermelons on the local market.

He also said yesterday that the ‘Farmers Market,’ which is being conducted at the GMC office at Robb and Alexander Streets, is still continuing.

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