Aurora Estate farmer calls for justice after attacks on property, cattle farm

Thakoor Masir, a cattle farmer and businessman of Aurora Estate on the Essequibo Coast in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), is calling on the authorities to take swift action to address a situation that has seen farmers of Aurora Estate being the target of a series of attacks on their properties, resulting in them suffering significant financial losses and distress.
Masir, a remigrant who returned to Guyana to invest in the agriculture sector, has said the attacks began in November last year, when 100 acres of his rice field were sprayed with Gramoxone, resulting in his crop being destroyed.
He told this publication that although he had provided the police with information in regard to whom he thinks is the main suspect, and had furnished a description of the vehicle that allegedly was used when the act was committed, no one has been arrested.
He said the situation escalated when, on November 19, 2024, unknown individuals invaded his private pasture and severely chopped five head of his cattle. Animals belonging to other farmers who were using his land for grazing were also targeted.
Then on January 5, 2025, another attack left five other head of cattle brutally chopped, bringing to ten the total number of his cattle injured.
According to Masir, these acts of vandalism have caused him approximately $1.4 million in livestock losses and $1.2 million in infrastructural damage that resulted when the barbed wire and chain-link fences enclosing his pasture were cut through. He disclosed that many of the injured cows, pregnant ones included, had to be sold to butchers at reduced prices because their injuries were too severe for them to survive.
However, he said, attacks of vandalism continued; and on January 26, he received a call from a worker, informing him that his tractor shed had been broken into. When he arrived on site, he discovered that his tractor and a boom sprayer had been set on fire. The extensive electrical and structural damage that was done to the tractor required costly repair.
Masir disclosed that he believes he is deliberately being targeted, because of a land dispute ongoing between him and his step-siblings. He alleges that one of his step-siblings who resides overseas had previously threatened to destroy his business by burning his rice fields and harming his cattle. He claims that although he had reported
these threats to the police, little has been done to protect him and his livelihood.
“What is happening to me is not just about money; it is cruelty of the highest level,” he declared. “The way the animals were chopped, you could see intestines hanging out, and in some cases, the unborn calves inside their mothers. These are innocent creatures. It is shocking that people could be this cruel,” he said.
Emphasising that he is not the only one suffering, because several other farmers, including one who is in poor health, have lost cattle in attacks of this sort, Masir said, “These men depend on their cattle to make a living, and now they have lost their income. One of them told me he cannot afford to replace his cows. Because we were forced to sell them at low prices after they were so brutally attacked!”
Despite having what he believes to be strong evidence, including a suspect’s photograph and a description of a vehicle used in the crimes, Masir says, he is frustrated by what he considers the slow response from police.
“We have given the police everything they need to act, yet no arrests have been made. We just want justice – for ourselves and for these animals. The authorities must do more to protect farmers and their livelihoods,” he added.
Masir says he has invested more than $33 million in his business since returning to Guyana, but he fears that if the situation is not addressed, the attacks would continue. He is now calling for a thorough investigation, stronger police action, and measures to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
“We are not asking for compensation; we know that will be a long legal battle. But, at the very least, we want those responsible to be held accountable,” he declared.