Govt commits to developing pasture for Wales backlands’ residents

By Lakhram Bhagirat

Following Guyana Times report, “Wales backlands’ residents appeal for urgent assistance to save livelihood, road”, which highlighted the plight of the residents in the remote section of Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha met with residents on Tuesday.
The community known as Catherine Savannah and the surrounding area is inhabited by just over 170 residents and they are claiming, among other things, their livelihood is being threatened by a coconut developer. The residents there are all former workers of the Wales Estate and after it was closed down by the David Granger Administration in December of 2016, they resorted to farming and livestock rearing since there were not many opportunities afforded to them.
They utilised abandoned cane fields to rear their cattle and have since accumulated just over 500 heads.
However, a developer approached the villagers and informed them that he was leased some 2000 acres of land to plant coconuts under the APNU/AFC Administration. The man then occupied the plot that the residents were using to raise their livestock so they decided to move to another plot.
About a month ago, the man began moving the residents’ cattle from the other plot, informing them that he received the go-ahead from the authorities to develop another block with coconut.
Apart from the issue with their cattle, the community is plagued by an impassable roadway and they have no access to potable water and electricity.
Meanwhile, a senior Government official previously told this publication that after the current Administration took office, an evaluation was conducted into the status of all developers occupying lands, which were granted via lease under the APNU/AFC Administration. While that evaluation has been completed, the final process of balancing the investment made thus far versus the occupancy needs of local farmers is yet to be done. In this particular case, the official noted, the developer has made significant investment in the area already. This, the official said, will now have to be balanced with the occupancy needs the farmers living there.

In early May, this publication visited the remote community and spoke to the residents there. Their issues were related to both the Agriculture Minister and Junior Public Works Minister. It has since resulted in Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha meeting with representatives of the residents on Tuesday morning.
The residents’ group was led by Sasenarine Khanai – a farmer and resident in the community for over 10 years – and they met with Minister Mustapha, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) Dr Dwight Walrond, and members of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) Board of Directors at the Ministry of Agriculture Regent Street and Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, Georgetown Office.
Following the meeting, Minister Mustapha told Guyana Times that he made a number of commitments to the residents – some of which are to be implemented immediately and some long term.
“This matter was brought to my attention (by Guyana Times) because that Saturday (May 8) I was going up Berbice when you called me and immediately, I asked Dr Waldron – who is the Deputy CEO of GLDA – to make contact with those persons which he had done and he provided me with a report,” Mustapha said.
He said that based on the report, the lands that the residents were occupying falls under the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) – which his Ministry has no control over. However, he explained that the have already commenced work with the farmers to ensure that they get access to lands to develop a pasture for the residents.
“They have made an application for another portion of land. They received a response from NICIL and NICIL said that land was also allocated to an investor so they are in a plight and a dilemma as to where they will take their cattle…I will work with these farmers although the land they are looking at would have been earmarked for an investor. Dr Walrond would have visited the area and he advised that there are State lands behind the NICIL land and today they would have worked with Dr Walrond to send in an application to Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GL&SC) and I will be speaking to the Commissioner of lands hoping that we can have permission to start to help developing that pasture. So, I am committed to earmark an excavator there permanently to develop that pasture there for them so they can put their 500 head of cattle and if they want to increase them,” the Minister committed.
He added that the Government is committed to expanding investments in the livestock industry in an effort to attract investors and as such the development of the pasture is only timely.

Collaborative approach
The community is accessible by two means – one is a boat from the East Bank of Demerara over the Demerara River and into the community and the other is by the dirt road. However, with Guyana in its official rainy season and the developer using the road to move heavy machinery, the road is now impassable.
There are ditches as deep as three feet in the road and certain parts are completely impassable.
The only access for villagers is by boat to Land of Caanan, EBD, and then to the various places for business. This mode of transportation is extremely costly to villagers who already have limited access to resources.
In addition, the residents there have had no access to water or electricity despite the neighbouring community of Vive La Force – just less than 5 miles away – having access to all of those necessities.
Minister Mustapha said he has committed to reaching out to his colleague Ministers of Public Works Juan Edghill and Deodat Indar, Housing and Water Collin Croal and Susan Rodrigues to see how they can improve the lives of the residents there.
“I am also looking to see how I can help because they said they also need some help with the road so I am working with my colleague Minister at Public Works to see how we can help these people because they told me they are in difficult circumstances there and also I would be asking my colleague Ministers at Housing and Water to see how they can assist there. But for temporary relief I have directed an excavator to go on the road to at least track out the water on the road right now so that you can get that portion dry and as long as it is dry, we are going to grade it for them temporarily so that they can have access to the area,” he said.

Pleased
Meanwhile, resident and spokesperson for the community group, Sasenarine Khanai told Guyana Times after the meeting that they were pleased with the commitment by the Minister and look forward to working with him.
“He met with us along with the members of the GuySuCo board, Mr Walrond from the GLDA and we expressed our concerns and the Minister gave us some valuable feedback that the Ministry would get involved and they would see if they can get a designated area for the cattle. Also, his input reached out to the Ministry of Public Works and Housing and Water where he would advise the Minister to send over representative to see if they can provide us with an all-weather road and water and electricity which we are thankful for,” he said.
Khanai added that the residents are pleased that a solution seems to be on the horizon.