Millions in crops destroyed as fire rips through West Berbice farm

– arson suspected

A West Berbice farmer is calling on authorities to launch a thorough investigation after his farm went up in flames thus resulting in millions of dollars in losses. The farmer believes that the fire was an act of arson.
The farm is situated at Belle Vue, West Coast Berbice (WCB), Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice).

Desmond Jacobs of Number 40 Village told Guyana Times that two Mondays ago, when he turned up at his farm to attend to his crops, the entire area was gutted.
The farm consisted of fruit trees, cash crops, and coconut trees. According to Jacobs, the raging fire destroyed about $2 million worth of crops and other items. He pointed out that the storage room was also damaged and the chemicals he had stored there were destroyed. Jacobs related that he would visit the farm at least twice per day. He said based on what he saw, the fire was deliberately set.
“I came down to water the plants last week Monday and when I came, I see a big blaze in the farm. This is not a bush fire; a bush fire can’t start like this – this fire start from inside. If was a bush fire it wouldn’t give such a big blaze,” Jacobs said, adding: “I would come in the morning and in the afternoon to water plants.”
Papaya, watermelon, bananas, soursop, and some citrus trees are among the crops destroyed.

Jacobs said he is peeved at the lack of response by the Police. “I went to the station the night and the Police told me that they would come on Wednesday because the CID [Criminal Investigation Department] guy had some other work to do and nobody was there.”
He stated that he revisited the Weldaad Police Station and also left a contact number but to date, no one has contacted him, which he described as “worrying”.
“So is like a whole week gone and nobody never come.”
The National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NATEI) has since engaged the farmer.