Region 5 cattle farmers approach court to get back pasture lands

The group of evicted cattle farmers is asking the High Court to, among other things, have the Mahaica Mahaicony Abary-Agricultural Development Authority (MMA-ADA) grant their lease applications and to remove other parties occupying the lands.

The farmers have been occupying some 1360 acres of lands located at Rampoor, Blairmont, West Bank Berbice (WBB) for over 20 years to rear their cattle. These lands were obtained via permits from the Agriculture Ministry and over the years, the farmers have filed applications to secure lease documents.
However, the farmers received a notice from the MMA-ADA earlier this year, indicating that they have to vacate the lands, which will be reissued. But according to the farmers, the agency has since issued out the lands to other persons, some of whom are not even cattle farmers.
Without the lands to graze their cattle, the farmers have complained bitterly over the losses they have been suffering.
Against this backdrop, they approached the court to regain possession of the lands. The MMA-ADA was named the respondent in the legal action, which was filed last week.
The farmers – Pooran Balmukund, Moonessar Somaroo, Rajnarine Harrynarine, Chrisna Sookdeo, Amar Nauth, Khrisinchand David, Ganesh Balkrisin and Subramannie Madray – are seeking a declaration that they are entitled to the 1360 acres of leased lands.
The document is also requesting an order for the MMA-ADA to process the farmers’ applications for leases, as well as “an injunction restraining the Respondent from dispossessing or in any manner interfering with the Applicants’ peaceful enjoyment and occupation” of the lands.
They also want the court to quash any decisions made and leases granted to any other party to occupy those lands. The farmers are asking for “an injunction restraining the Respondent from processing, allocating or issuing any Lease, Licence and/or Permission” to occupy the lands.
In the legal documents, which were filed by Attorney-at-Law Anil Nandlall, it was noted that the lands are and were always communally occupied and currently, the farmers have approximately 650 heads of cattle there.
Furthermore, it was stated that the farmers have expended huge sums of money to fence a large portion of the lands and over the years, continued to expend millions of dollars in up-keeping the lands and ensuring that it is properly drained and irrigated.
“…over the years, the applicants expended millions of dollars in the erection of buildings and structures to house these cattle and also constructed a dwelling house in which they dwell while they are on the said lands; to date, these structures are still on the said lands and continue to be maintained and upkept by the applicants,” the legal document outlined.
It was further explained that following an attempt by rice farmers back in 2011 to enter on portions of the land for cultivating, the then Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud and then President Donald Ramotar had intervened and after a series of engagements, it was decided that the lands would continue to be used “exclusively for cattle rearing” and that the farmers’ occupation would be formalised and regularised.
Over the preceding years, the farmers applied for their leases but were never granted same despite numerous tries, in some cases.
Nevertheless, Guyana Times had reported that the farmers were issued with a letter dated January 18, 2019, from MMA-ADA ordering them to vacate the land by February 1, 2019, and according to the notice, from that date, those animal farmers would have been deemed illegal.
Along with their removal, the men were also required to demolish all structures constructed on the property. Attempts were made to reach an agreement with the entity to no avail. Hence this step by the farmers to seek legal recourse.
The matter is fixed for hearing before acting Chief Justice, Roxanne George on June 13 at 10:00h.