Latest update December 4th, 2024 2:40 AM
Industrious farmer Rayon Bacchus seeks help to break into international market
Rayon Bacchus cultivates bananas and plantains on a large scale basis in Calcutta.
Rayon’s kids are indeed a big help to him in his farm.
Countryside farmer Rayon Bacchus aims for the export markets.
by Alex Wayne
Thirty-two year old Rayon Bacchus of Calcutta Village, Mahaicony East Coast Demerara is the very epitome of the adage that perseverance is the strongest factor that can lead to success.
Rayon, a father of five, owns one of the largest ground provision and vegetable farms in the East Mahaicony District, and his success story is certainly one to be told.
Today, this very hardworking farmer is not only supplying residents of East Mahaicony with his produce, but also wholesale buyers from near and afar.
This country-bred lad is doing all in his power to ensure he gets his produce on the international market, but of course he is desperately seeking the assistance of the relevant authorities to make this happen.
Some ten years ago, Rayon was seen as just a ‘regular boy’ by villagers.
But all that changed when he focused his energies on what he really like doing, and that was gardening. What started out as a simple small garden in the Calcutta Backlands, soon blossomed under his gifted hands into something that looked quite promising.
Fuelled by his results and his love for farming, Rayon was eventually leased some four acres of land by another villager. He did not stop there but soon started farming in another area that extends for almost one mile, quite close to the Calcutta main access dam, which is situated near a very important irrigation trench.
“I began my small garden in the back dam and soon extended because the soil was very fertile. Encouraged by the good results, I soon after was leased four hectares of land and began farming on a large scale. Besides that, I plant plantains, cassava and banana quite close to the Calcutta Access Dam because the soil is very good there too. But I had to find some way of getting water to both farming areas, so I came up with my own idea of using a water pump and hooking up my own makeshift device, and it worked quite splendidly…”
With both farming areas being close together, Rayon use pipelines which are attached to a water pump. Locked onto the pipelines are great lengths of rubber hose in which he punched holes. When the pump is turned on, it pushes water through the pipelines and into the rubber hose. As they fill under the water pressure, water spurts from the holes in hoses and adequately irrigates the plants.
Rayon also cultivates celery, sweet and hot pepper, ochro, bora, boulangers (egg-plants) and ground provision.
And one would want to think that he has a whole lot of employees tending to his farm, but this is not so. Actually, he works on the farm with his wife and five of his kids.
The kids have been well trained and it was a joy to watch them work recently as they transplanted young celery plants.
“I don’t have any big money to pay employees… My kids and wife have learnt the farm work over the years and they are good at what they do. I make enough on the farm to take care of my family and cover other expenses, but what I want to do is to extend a little more and get my produce to the international market. I have a lot of wholesale buyers but they take advantage of the fact that most of my produce are perishables and so sometimes they just want to pay me next to nothing… To extend my farm more, I will need money. It is my hope to get a business loan but I don’t know what the procedure is. When you live in the countryside, there is no one to direct or advise you about anything… I had spoken to Minister Harmon when they visited several months ago and he had promised that they would get back to me, but I have not ever received a call.”
“I take care of my farm by the grace of God… and I want to extend to such a level that I can give my produce freely to the elderly and the needy. I also need more sprinklers for the farm, and I also need a motor blower… I always hold a good focus and I got to get up in this life to the highest level, but I need guidance and I need financial assistance.”
Amongst some of his future plans Rayon intends to soon start his own coconut estate. Being the go-getter that he is, he also sells clothing and kitchen utensils in several villages always in the company of his very industrious and humble wife.
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