Decades-old conflict between Berbice rice and cattle farmers flares up with flooding

Jun 27, 2021 News

Kaieteur News – As various areas bordering several major rivers are still suffering repercussions from the recent spate of intense flooding that Guyana has had to endure, the way of life of thousands of farmers, cattle farmers and other has been stagnated.

Cattle grazing in riceland

The most recent tragedy to befall the Nation’s agriculture sector has been the devastation caused to farmlands, rice lands and grazing pastures caused by severe inundation as a result of persistent rainfall. Effects of the natural disaster itself aside, this phenomenon has served as a catalyst to exacerbate a bitter land use dispute between cattle farmers and rice farmers in the Kokerite savannah, Black Bush Polder area. The most recent manifestation in the bitter dispute that has plagued the Kokerite savannah are persons believed to be rice farmers inflicting chops upon the cattle of the farmers who had rescued what remained of their herd from the badly flooded backlands.

The backlands, which were designated as a grazing pasture for the cattle and which were also closer to the Canje Creek have consequently been swept under abnormally high water levels. Flooding in the area has plagued farmers in a periodic but continuous fashion, and seems to be increasing in severity with each occurrence, with the most recent marking one of the worst floods the area has ever seen. In fact, if this flooding persists, it would prove to be the most disastrous of any such incidents in the area since the overtopping of the Canje Creek in 1960.

With the aid of the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), cattle farmers in the backlands have relocated what remains of their herd to the higher front lands, which now houses multiple rice farming operations. The worsening flood situation has only enflamed the conflict between the two classes of farmers and has only served to further divide the two sides and to act as a precursor to acts of violence as demonstrated in the recent cattle attacks. The floods act as a catalyst for a heightened state of tension as both sides are placed in extremely difficult positions and ultimately each side acts in the best interest of their investment as severe inundation kills crops and livestock alike. This acting in ones best interest has resulted in various actions being taken by persons from each side.

For the cattle farmers, this includes allowing the surviving herds to scavenge at will and graze indiscriminately, sometimes on the crops of rice farmers. In a bid to help rice farmers, the regional administration would normally supply them with wallaba posts and barbed wires to fence their fields. However, these wires were deliberately vandalised, allowing cows to gain entry into the rice fields. In 2004, it was reported that cattle had damaged some 400 acres of cultivated rice land belonging to 25 farmers, which amounted to over $10 million in damages. Another report was done in 2009 highlighting similar losses. In 2019 further complaints by rice farmers in the area also quoted damage in the millions of dollars.

For the rice farmers, self-interest appears to take the form of draining their lands to the detriment of grazing pastures, fencing areas, which are not designated for crops, and physical injuries to livestock deemed to be invading on rice lands. In 2009, 30 heads of cattle were poisoned in the area. A decade later, in 2019, two rice farmers were arrested for shooting six cows that allegedly ventured onto their lands and a cattle farmer was also shot by an irate rice farmer later in the year. Most recently, several rescued cattle have been chopped after allegedly venturing onto cultivated rice lands in the front lands.

These violent progressions of this decades-old conflict has recently been addressed by the Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, in a press release, who stated “I know these are very troubling times for farmers who are trying to preserve whatever cultivation and livestock they have left. I’m urging farmers to work together and be their brother’s keeper because this flooding is a national issue that has affected us all. This is time for us to demonstrate compassion for life and our fellow farmers,” Further, the press release stated that GLDA and Regional Agricultural Officers are working with farmers to ensure cattle brought from the backlands remain housed in secure areas and away from farms and rice fields. The GLDA has also been providing feed free of cost to farmers.

However, it appears from all indications that the conflict will only get bitterer due to exacerbating circumstances fuelling it, such as the flooding in the backlands forcing animals to higher ground. The entirety of Kokerite savannah was originally designated as communal pasture for cattle-rearing; however, as leases were issued for parts of the land, persons realising that the leases were agricultural leases, began to plant rice as it presented greater gains at the time than cattle rearing. In time cattle rearing was confined to the backlands while the front lands were reserved for rice cultivation. In 2019, the then Regional Chairman, David Armogan, has suggested that the only way the conflict could be dissolved is to completely demarcate lands within the farming areas, to separate cattle and rice farming.

“There needs to be complete demarcation with a fence, the facilities of water and so need to be put into the cattle area because people are just grazing all over the place because no area is designated for cattle,” the chairman stated.

Armogan further said, “You have to demarcate where cattle should be and where rice land should be.” He explained that there are no stringent laws and regulations in the Region and there never was, in relation to agricultural land but that in itself “is what is causing the problem, everybody is doing everything everywhere. There was never a land policy in place.”

The floods continue to force animals into the cultivation area despite the best efforts of the GLDA and consequently this has resulted in cattle farmers approaching persons with unused rice lands to request that their animal be placed there. One farmer notes that, in some areas persons who are not using their rice lands are now requesting rent from the cattle farmers. This has the potential to breed more conflict given the already difficult situation.