Grape yard in Berbice under threat following cattle invasion

– millions in vines already destroyed

The cultivation of grapes and apples in Glasgow Village. New Amsterdam, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) is now under threat by cattle.
Forty-two-year-old Devon Gilead started to reap grapes in 2022, and last year’s harsh weather conditions had a severe impact on his cultivation.
The Government had given him 7.1 acres to expand his grape and apple cultivation, but to date, he has only utilised two acres for his vineyard.
Two weeks ago, bearing vines were destroyed after a herd of cattle invaded. Gilead told Guyana Times that the cattle were being reared a short distance away.

“When I came across, I see a whole flock of cows in the vineyard. The cows graze down all the plants. Afterwards, I see the owner and his son coming towards me with cutlasses. They come into the land and chase out the cows. I had a guy doing some work on the farm and they tell the guy that if I had told them anything, they would have broadside me,” Gilead told this publication.
He said the damage done was estimated to be in the millions. He added that a year’s hard work had gone down the drain.

“Now I would have to cut down each plant to the stump and let them grow up back. It would take more than a year to grow back,” he explained.
He said he reported the matter to the Police, but was told that he would have to catch the animals and take them to the pound and also get the brand number on the animals.
“The owner of the cattle went to the station, and he admitted that the cows grazed down my sucker plants and that he was willing to pay back for them, but declined to compensate for the damaged grape vines.”
Gilead said he planted 456 plantain suckers which were also destroyed.

The farmer explained that the cattle owner had removed a section of his fence to allow the cattle to enter his farm, claiming that the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) had given him written permission to rear cattle on the land.
“He told me that I have no right to plant here,” Gilead added. “Right now, they are destroying everything that I own.”
He related that over 900 vines have been damaged. He valued each vine above $60,000, noting that it was a special variety that can be grown in the tropics.

“People in Guyana have tried planting grapes but they never got it the way I got mine to flourish. There is a technique to get the vines to bear and now people are just destroying everything,” he said.
Gilead added, “I had over 200 apple plants and all destroyed, but that was not the animals; it was the dry weather.”
Gilead said he had paid $150 for each of the plantain suckers.
“But that is not really my concern. It is not hard to get back suckers, but grape, the vines is the big issue. These took a few years to develop. I grew these for one and a half years. Last December, I was supposed to get grapes, but due to the dry weather, I couldn’t. Now I said that in a few months, I would get back grapes and the cows come and clip down all the buds.”
He has been working day and night on the farm to ensure the success of his crop.
“Imagine working for two years, day in, day out and expecting to get something and you don’t get anything – it is very heartrending,” he stated.
Gilead is calling for systems to be implemented that would protect farmers’ crops from cattle. (G4)