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Coconut pest plague Pomeroon farmers
With the rapid devastation of acres of coconut trees that have come under attack by an uncontrollable pest, coconut farmers, who solely depend on the crop, especially those farmers in communities in the Lower Pomeroon River have concluded, that if interventions are not immediately made to them Pomeroon would be down in a few months.
Coconut plantation
Desperate coconut farmers have said that they have been neglected by the Region Two Administration and by experts of the Ministry of Agriculture. Acres of coconut trees continue to die in rapid succession.
Farmers said that the leaves of the coconut trees are turning yellowish and sometimes red. Coconut farmers said that the pest spreads to neighbouring crops, including the plantain and banana trees.
Coconut farmer, Francis Raymond, of Grant Unity, in the Lower Pomeroon River, explained that the problem is very serious and sadly, no one from within the Agriculture Ministry has rendered assistance to the affected farmers.
Raymond said that while he solely depends on coconut farming for a living, he indicated that the cost to cultivate coconut and further take care of the crop is way expensive than what he would receive from selling his produce. He said that currently he and other farmers have to purchase litres of “Monocrotophos” to treat the pest. The drug costs $4000 for a litre.”
Other coconut farmers have also indicated that it is costly to treat the pest that continues to plague the coconut trees, eventually killing it, while indicating further, that the pests are affecting some of the “best” coconut trees.
“We need help to address this current issue. Pomeroon coconut farmers are dependent on coconut for a living.”
Some coconut farmers who are skeptical about treating the affected trees with poison, lamented that they are unsure whether the poison would affect the water coconut. David Khancially, who has twenty acres of coconut trees, said that while he experiences the same problem as his fellow coconut farmers, he has not started as yet to treat his affected trees because he is unsure if the poison would affect the water coconuts.
He said he is holding out to see if help would soon filter down from experts from the Agriculture Ministry.
While Pomeroon coconut farmers are peeved about the overwhelming problem faced, they have also shed concerns about marketing. One popular farmer said that a lot of families have since abandoned their fields and have relocated because of the situation. He said that while he continues to monitor his field, he has been treating his crop. He however, stressed that while he continues to produce more, marketing is limited.
He and other coconut farmers are awaiting the resuscitation of the Guyana Marketing Centre to be re-established at Charity, as promised by President David Granger during his elections campaign on the Essequibo Coast.
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