A Corentyne rice farmer recently took his own life after he was unable to fulfill his debts due to the increased flooding in his savannah, which left his family in need of support.
The man’s son, Parmeshwar Dindial, 32, of Number 60 Village, Corentyne, told Stabroek News that they found his father, Narine Dindial, 54, of Number 58 Village, Corentyne, dead in his house on June 11. He was discovered by his maid.
“He been a plant like 150 acre of rice and he harvest some and he had about 45 acre more to cut and whatever he harvest out of the rest he find fault because due to the water he nah get much and the 45 acre he didn’t touch anything from it,” the son related.
According to the son, his father, who had been a rice farmer for over 25 years, started to stress about the situation as he had a mortgage to repay for his house, a loan on his combine, Institute of Private Enterprise Development crop loans and other financial obligations.
The son explained that his father was working to address his situation but after he was told that the combine would be seized due to his failure to pay his installments he became depressed and started to talk about the possibility of ending his life.
However, hours before the man decided to end his life he informed his son that he would go overseas to seek a job in order to be able to send some money to pay his debts. As a result, the family thought he was in a better frame of mind.
“Me was kinda scared when he threatened to do that but then when he tell me he a go overseas to try work and see fa survive me feel happy a day when he tell me that and me say he mood change and in about two hour time me get the news.”
Parmeshwar, also a rice farmer, yesterday told Stabroek News that the family is in an extremely vulnerable state as the persons whom his father owed are now approaching him. He noted that he also had his own loans and also suffered losses as a result of the flood. “Everybody a rush down for money. He owe for chemical and all them stuff and everybody a rush down for money,” he said.
“I don’t really know what to do right now because he left me in a situation that I am confuse,” the emotional man, said.
The son explained that he himself had planted about 50 acres but was able to harvest some. “I lost some too but not as much as he and them debt wah he deh in.”
He said he is unsure where to turn to and is in need of major help with his father’s loans. He pleaded with President Irfaan Ali to look into assisting him and other farmers at the earliest.
Dindial, who described his father as a hardworking, kind and jovial, said that his family has never been in such a situation.
