Region 6 Chairman urges Black Bush Polder farmers to register co-op

As founders of the Black Bush Agriculture Cattle and Farming Co-op Society accuse the Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) Administration of stymieing development, Regional Chairman David Armogan has advised the Chief Co-ops Officer to assist with registering the body.

The Co-op is seeking to develop 1700 acres of land at Yakasari, but Armagon in an invited comment related that once the co-op is registered, the body will have to apply to use the land for general agriculture purposes.
The Co-op of 10 members claimed that an application to use the land was submitted a few weeks ago, but nothing was done.
Its Chairman, Ganesh Narine, explained that they have been using the land for the past five years and recently applied for permission to do both crops and livestock.
“Mr Armogan stated that he doesn’t want any planting, only cow. My members occupy here over five years and if they put only cows here, the people have their rice fields right next there and the cow will go across and destroy the people’s crop,” Narine explained.
Guyana Times understands that there was a dispute between the Black Bush Agriculture Cattle and Farming Co-op Society and the Yakasari Community Livestock Society Limited.
The latter has been given approval to use the second depth to rear animals. The area given to the Livestock Society is part of the 1700 acres Narine has identified.
He stated that the Livestock Society already has land in Yakasari which they already use for cattle rearing, but the Livestock Society had applied for lands after the Cookrite Savannah which was the area designated for cattle rearing was already leased.
In the business plan shown to this publication, 100 acres is designated for crops which the Co-op says will be sold to the New Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) while another ‘proton’ will be used to rear livestock including chicken, pigs, and cattle.
However, Narine believes that if the Livestock Society uses the land for cattle rearing, the possibilities exist that the animals are likely to cross the canal and enter the rice fields.
“The 100 acres will be in front and the land goes to the end of the second savannah; at the back there, we will put the cattle,” Narine explained.
There is a long-standing conflict in the Polder: rice farmers have been accusing cattle farmers of allowing their animals to feed on their crops.
In recent times, the Regional Administration has been trying to ensure that crops are not planted in areas designated for cattle rearing.
During a recent outreach to Region Six by President Irfaan Ali, farmers aired their concern about the need for more land in all four Polders.
As such, the Regional Administration was instructed to ensure that this was made possible. The Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission has been asked to assist.
According to the Regional Chairman, the area has been earmarked for cattle farming. He said farmers are being given land proportionate to the amount of cattle they own.
While Narine currently does not have cattle, he refuses to be part of the Yakasari Community Livestock Society Limited. As founders of the Black Bush Agriculture Cattle and Farming Co-op Society accuse the Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) Administration of stymieing development, Regional Chairman David Armogan has advised the Chief Co-ops Officer to assist with registering the body.
The Co-op is seeking to develop 1700 acres of land at Yakasari, but Armagon in an invited comment related that once the co-op is registered, the body will have to apply to use the land for general agriculture purposes.
The Co-op of 10 members claimed that an application to use the land was submitted a few weeks ago, but nothing was done.
Its Chairman, Ganesh Narine, explained that they have been using the land for the past five years and recently applied for permission to do both crops and livestock.
“Mr Armogan stated that he doesn’t want any planting, only cow. My members occupy here over five years and if they put only cows here, the people have their rice fields right next there and the cow will go across and destroy the people’s crop,” Narine explained.
Guyana Times understands that there was a dispute between the Black Bush Agriculture Cattle and Farming Co-op Society and the Yakasari Community Livestock Society Limited.
The latter has been given approval to use the second depth to rear animals. The area given to the Livestock Society is part of the 1700 acres Narine has identified.
He stated that the Livestock Society already has land in Yakasari which they already use for cattle rearing, but the Livestock Society had applied for lands after the Cookrite Savannah which was the area designated for cattle rearing was already leased.
In the business plan shown to this publication, 100 acres is designated for crops which the Co-op says will be sold to the New Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) while another ‘proton’ will be used to rear livestock including chicken, pigs, and cattle.
However, Narine believes that if the Livestock Society uses the land for cattle rearing, the possibilities exist that the animals are likely to cross the canal and enter the rice fields.
“The 100 acres will be in front and the land goes to the end of the second savannah; at the back there, we will put the cattle,” Narine explained.
There is a long-standing conflict in the Polder: rice farmers have been accusing cattle farmers of allowing their animals to feed on their crops.
In recent times, the Regional Administration has been trying to ensure that crops are not planted in areas designated for cattle rearing.
During a recent outreach to Region Six by President Irfaan Ali, farmers aired their concern about the need for more land in all four Polders.
As such, the Regional Administration was instructed to ensure that this was made possible. The Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission has been asked to assist.
According to the Regional Chairman, the area has been earmarked for cattle farming. He said farmers are being given land proportionate to the amount of cattle they own.
While Narine currently does not have cattle, he refuses to be part of the Yakasari Community Livestock Society Limited.