– team to be dispatched to area
By Indrawattie Natram
Cash crop farmers cultivating in the Cozier, Lower Pomeroon River in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) are currently inundated with water due to the alleged negligence of drainage and irrigation workers attached to the Region Two administration. Scores of cash crop farmers are counting their losses and reported to the Region Two Regional Democratic Council (RDC) that their crops are under threat.
Speaking at the monthly RDC meeting on Tuesday after the standing order was adjusted, cash crop farmer Lyvan Layne said currently, over 1345 roots of water melon are under threat for him. Layne related that water from the New Road area keeps overtopping into the low lands of Cozier and accused the rangers attached to the administration there of doing nothing to bring relief to those affected, despite making several reports to the rangers.
Addressing the RDC Councillors at the meeting for the month of July, Layne related that over 40 cash crop farmers are affected. The father of seven said his watermelon crop is in bearing stage and if the water remains on his land, then he will be losing hundreds of thousand of dollars in crops.
He further explained that farmers have cultivated peas and within the next four weeks, harvesting will commence. After listening to the farmer’s concerns, Head of the RDC, Region Two Chariman Devanand Ramdatt, said a team consisting of Councillors, himself and the Regional Executive Officer Rupert Hopkinson will visit the area shortly to assess the situation.
Base on the assessment, necessary recommendations would be made. Ramdatt also told the farmer that they should visit the RDC regularly and report issues affecting them as opposed to waiting until RDC meetings to raise such concerns.
Farmers are calling for proper drainage and irrigation in the area and alleged that the workers operating the sluice are very old and do no lift the doors regularly.
Farming is the main economic activity for persons living in the Cozier area.
