Commercial species of wood depleted at Orealla – Toshao

Commercial species of wood at Orealla, an Amerindian village situated 50 miles up the Corentyne River in which logging is a major activity, have been depleted. This is now a major concern for the community, its Toshao, David Henry has revealed.
Along with its sister village, Siparuta, Orealla depends on logging as one of its two main economic activities.
Henry says there is now a need to switch to other economic activities. “We still have the forest intact, but the commercial species that we are using is being depleted, so we need to diversify and leave the forest and move into agriculture.”
Henry says the focus will be on pineapples, which the village of Orealla produced bountifully in the past, and on permanent crops, including avocados, pears and mangoes. “We have the land and potential to plant pineapples and supply the world with it.”
According to the Toshao, efforts are being made to resuscitate the food processing factory in the village and this time around it will not only be adding value to pineapples.
He noted that new machinery has already been added to the old factory to ensure that other fruits could be processed and marketing was currently being done. The Toshao told Guyana Times: “We want to make it an all-purpose factory, where we can do canning.”
He reiterated the need for the village to diversify from traditional logging and move into cash and permanent crops so that they can “live mostly off of agriculture”.
Orealla has a population of 1500, while Siparuta has a population of 700. The Village Council depends on royalties from sand and wood in order to carry out its functions which include providing electricity and water for both communities which are five miles apart.
“Our community is a very poor community, likewise Siparuta, and we are dividing the royalty 50-50 and would say that it is not enough. We are barely floating because that is the only source of royalty,” Henry added.