Over 1,000 head of cattle, 20 horses dead in Black Bush flooding

Jul 06, 2017 News

Farmers who occupy the Cookerite Savannah in Black Bush Polder, Corentyne, Berbice,

Carcasses of cattle in the Cookrite Savannah area.

currently underwater, are to receive assistance.
This is according to the Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, on Wednesday during a meeting with the farmers at State House, New Amsterdam.
Nagamootoo, who is performing the duties of the President, was there with Minister within the Ministry of Finance, Jaipaul Sharma, meeting farmers yesterday afternoon in an effort to assess the situation.
Meanwhile, as the farmers made arrangements to take some of their cattle to safe lands in residential communities, the President instructed that no animals should be impounded.
The farmers had voiced concerns over the difficulties faced when dealing with stray catchers. However, the police have been ordered to ensure that no animal will be impounded during this period.
Nagamootoo warned the animal owners to pay attention to the safety of humans.
He also disclosed that he will assist by trying to have bran and molasses for the farmers who would have brought their animals out to higher grounds. Extension officers attached to the Agriculture Ministry were instructed by Nagamootoo to identify where there is unwanted vegetation to cut and give to the animals.
“Once the grass is identified and you find a truck, you would not have to pay for it to cross the bridge,” he said.
There have also been complaints from along the Canje River, of reported flooding and

A section of the Cookrite Savannah farmland that is flooded.

water-borne diseases.
Kim Williams-Stephen, Region Six Executive Officer, reported that several persons are being affected by water borne diseases. She stated that a medical team will be dispatched to the affected area to bring the situation under control.
Meanwhile, the farmers had complained that they were not getting the needed assistance since some of the pumps along the Corentyne were not working.
Regional Chairman, David Armogan, had told the media that the regions budgetary allocations for fuel had been cut in the National Budget.
However, Minister Sharma said even if that was the case the region was not short of funding to purchase fuel.
“Under agriculture for fuel and lubricants, the amount of $270.5M was budgeted. If the chairman is saying that it was cut by half then that figure has to be multiplied by two. I was expecting that if he was going to make statements like that that there was no money. To date what was spent is only $48.7M of what was budgeted for agriculture. So under agriculture there is still $223M.”
NDIA’s Region Six engineer, Lester Persaud, explained that Black Bush is an area with a structured drainage and irrigation system that did not include Cookerite Savannah.
He disclosed that some of the water could be released through Black Bush but rice and cash crop farmers there will have concerns.
Several agencies have been contacted to get on board to prevent the spread of disease, providing grass for animals and monitoring their well being.
Over 1000 head of cattle were reported dead due to the flood waters in the Cookerite Savannah area, Black Bush Polder.
More than 1000 acres is said to be under water, up to chest high in some parts.
Farmers of Cookerite Savannah stated that there are over 7,000 head of cattle together with sheep, goats and horses. The farmers reported that so far more that 1000 heads of cattle have died and close to twenty horses.
The farmers had stated that only one of the three sluice doors is in operation at Adventure, Corentyne, while the pump at Eversham and Number 43 Village are not being put into operation. The affected farmers went to the regional office of the Prime Minister seeking the assistance of the Prime Minister’s Representative, Gobin Harbhajan.

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