Dear Editor,
I am very happy for my fellow Guyanese farmers at Buxton who are benefiting from free land clearing, drainage and irrigation and access works together with compensation on top.
It is good that the government sees it fit to support our brothers in this depressed area even though it is not its stronghold and the Regional Democratic Council like other bodies offers no support to agriculture.
I would now like to call on the government to extend this support to other farmers across the country in the form of similar works. I am a farmer living at Canal Number Two Polder and farming with many others at Kamuni-Patosi (behind Wales Estate).
Evidence of our production can be seen on Fridays when we offload at Pearl on the East Bank Demerara.
Some works that would be of benefit are access roads, drainage and irrigation and bush clearing (to expand our operations).
There are other farmers to the east of us nearer to the Demerara River who would benefit from upgrading of the existing access road (on the west bank of the Demerara river), flat bridges and kokers. We do pay rates and taxes but the responsible authorities do not seem interested in regular maintenance of agricultural infrastructure.
I visited Crabwood Creek last week and observed at least 50 boats unloading plantains, bananas, pumpkins, eddoes and many other crops. We the farmers outside Buxton also need your support.
Finally, I urge the government to look into the possibility of providing duty-free, four-wheel drive, non-luxury vehicles to farmers. Transportation is vital for this type of activity.
We have tremendous experience and productive holdings and will help meet the existing food shortages if facilities are provided.
Yours faithfully,
Kalika Persaud
