Agri. Minister expands support to Buxton farmers 

- On-going backland clearing to see more D&I work, farmlands open, continued compensation

  Georgetown, GINA, April 26, 2008

Buxton farmers who have been affected by the Joint Services clearing exercise aback of Buxton, East Coast, Demerara and who were compensated in the initial phase of the activity will receive further compensation as the clearing exercise is still progress. This was disclosed by Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud during a visit to the Buxton backlands to meet with scores of farmers where they were updated on other agricultural interventions including enhancing drainage and irrigation and the provision of seed and planting materials.

Hon. Robert M. Persaud Minister of Agriculture met with farmers’ of Buxton Backland. April 26, 2008

 

The Minister, in his discussion with the farmers held in the Pond Dam area in the backlands where the clearing and drainage works are being undertaken by government’s heavy-duty equipment, disclosed that on Monday staff of the Agriculture Ministry and representatives from the farmers’ committee will return to the area to conduct a second phase of the verification exercise as part of the extended compensation process for those who are affected by the debushing activity. Only about four dozen farmers are directly affected by the Joint Services clearing exercise which is part of Operation Restore Order following the Lusignan and Bartica massacres.

One of the major drainage and irrigation projects to be implemented shortly will cost about $16M and entails the desilting of the pump basin facing the Atlantic Ocean. This project will expand the ability of the sluices and pumps in the area to drain, more effectively. It was pointed out that the criminal take-over of the community prevented the Ministry and other agencies from implementing any major development project, including drainage and irrigation.

 

Touring of Buxton Backland: Hon. Robert M. Persaud Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Lionel WordsworthCEO-NDIA and other officia ls. April 26, 2008

Immediately, the excavator being operated by the Joint Services will move to clean the two middle-walk canals to assist farmers ahead of the rainy season.

The Minister pointed out that given the nature of the Joint Services operations there are two components - security and agriculture as drainage and irrigation systems are being restored after years, and access dams, once out of bounds to farmers, are being cleared.

Further, the Minister said once the security operation is completed there will be a total assessment of the drainage and irrigation needs and further interventions may be contemplated by the government once farmers are interested in going back to the land they left for many years.

“We have started a programme with the NDC (Neighbourhood Democratic Council) and that programme is still in progress…the engineers were here and they have done verification and much more will be done as we proceed,” Minister Persaud said.

         Minister Persaud also said that seed materials will be provided to farmers who have lands within their homesteads to improve their income.

 The Minister today gave the community a quantity of seeds as part of his Ministry’s Grow More” campaign.

Farmers expressed general satisfaction with efforts to assist them and thanked the Minister and other officials for meeting with them.

          Among those accompanying Minister Persaud on the visit were Region Four Chairman Clement Corlette, officers of the Joint Services and Trade Consultant of Colorado, United States, Dyer Alberto, CEO of NDIA Lionel Wordworth and other officials of the Agriculture Ministry.

            Corlette said that a time line should be given to complete the clearing exercise to be completed.

 

Touring of Buxton Backland: Hon. Robert M. Persaud Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Lionel WordsworthCEO-NDIA and other official s April 26, 2008

          “The ongoing operation of the Joint Services in clearing the land does not have a time line. The clearing of the lands is based on how fast the Joint Services are able to conduct their activities which are sometimes affected by the weather or the malfunctioning of equipment,” Minister Persaud advised.

          Major Gary Beaton of the Guyana Defence Force, who is in charge of the clearing exercise said that all the debris left behind would be collected and burnt to allow easy cultivation of the land by farmers.

          On February 4, after a decision by the Office of the President, the Joint Services commenced an operation to clear the backlands on the lower East Coast of Demerara

 This area which has dense vegetation has been used by criminals as hideouts to evade police pursuit.  Many of the farmlands have been abandoned. The operation entails the removal of all vegetation in the identified areas aback of the villages on the East Coast which will provide a clear line-of-vision for villagers and the Security Forces.

Today’s visit was the second by the Minister since the start of the clearing operation and is meant to ensure that farmers continue to get required support from the Government as efforts are made to return the village to normalcy by the Joint Services as they rid the area of criminals.

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