Repossession of farm lands will be last resort

Repossession of farm lands will be last resort – MMA

Nov 26, 2009 News

The Mahaica/Mahaicony/Abary— Agricultural Development Authority (MMA-ADA) and the People’s National Congress Reform are now at loggerheads over the decision by the MMA moving to seize lands from residents in West Coast Berbice. The reason is the people’s non-payment of all fees owed to the MMA-ADA.

Recently PNCR Member of Parliament, Africo Selman, described the move as another attempt to dispossess many farmers since the government is aware that the failure of the very MMA-ADA to maintain drainage and irrigation facilities in the scheme has affected farmers’ productivity.

However, the MMA has stated that the claims made by the PNCR are nothing else ‘but shameless and even barefaced.’

According to the statement, the MMA has stated categorically time and again that repossession/reallocation of State Lands is the last resort in the pursuit of the drainage and irrigation payments in order to maintain the systems.

“We are pleased to note that thanks to Government’s extra support over the last few years, we have done a complete rehabilitation of the drainage system, returning it to its designed and constructed state,” the statement noted.

However, according to the MMA, these systems have to be maintained and it is expected that the beneficiaries will contribute in some measure to this maintenance, as is the same principle that is applied elsewhere.

But the problem that the MMA is experiencing is that some persons do not feel obligated to pay the fees.

“Unfortunately, because of the way drainage and irrigation systems are structured defaulters cannot be excluded from the services without denying service to those who pay.

“In the majority of instances, the same non-payers rent these lands out at enormous rates demanding money up front from the tenants who cultivate the lands.”

The PNCR Member of Parliament had stated that several promises were made by Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud last year to the farmers during a meeting, but to date, the promises are to still be fulfilled.

The MMA retorted that the Minister, this year, even approved of the waiver of drainage and irrigation charges in many of the MMA areas.

The MMA then challenged the PNCR to explain why only 19 per cent of the lands in the MMA scheme were cultivated although there was a shortage of rice in the country during the time that the party was in office in 1992.

“Or why, according to the Guymine Engineering and Technical Services (GETS) report, which President Hoyte had commissioned in the late 80’s, only seven per cent of all the machinery and equipment acquired for the MMA were working.”

According to MMA, when compared to today, there is a 93 per cent cultivation of the MMA project area; 78 per cent of the machinery/equipment are operational.

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Repossession of farm lands will be last resort – MMA

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The Glenn Lall Show|| February, 10th, 2025

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