Numerous residents in Black Bush Polder on Saturday reported to Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha that they have not been visited by any extension officers as such they are worried that their losses would not be reflected in the ministry’s assessment report which is expected to be presented to the Minister responsible for Finance sometime this week.
Minister Mustapha and Minister with responsibility for Finance Dr Ashni Singh held meetings in all four polders in Black Bush, Corentyne on Saturday and at each location persons reported that they are yet to be visited by any extension officers. As such, Mustapha ordered the Guyana Livestock and Development Authority and National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute officers to look into the matter immediately and ensure that a “house-to- house” assessment is done and included in the ministry’s report.
A seemingly annoyed Mustapha assured the residents and farmers that “they will have to come back house to house.”
One farmer, Michael Jainarine of Mibicuri at the meeting on Saturday said, “As you know the flood wipe out everything but we want to know when we can have assistance.” When questioned by Mustapha the man relayed that he was not visited by any extension officer, “They only going road corner and couple in the street but is everybody get losses”, he noted.
Mustapha then asked to check the extension officer’s list of Jainarine’s street where it was discovered that only a few persons from the front area and a few in the streets were on the list. Jainarine’s name was not on the list.
Over in Johanna, a group of women insisted that no extension officer visited them to record the losses they suffered in their gardens, while in Yakusari cattle farmers reported that their losses are yet to be recorded also.
Mustapha on Saturday stressed that he will be presenting the report during the upcoming week to the Finance Ministry.
“There is an assessment going on with our extension officers visiting farms, visiting farmers interviewing them to find out what losses they suffered both livestock, cash crop and rice and that data will be submitted shortly to the relevant offices and then government will decide what type of help.”
He added, “We want farmers to go back (and) start farming once again and return life to normalcy because when you suffer your losses is everybody suffer, so we want the farmers to return to the land as quickly as possible… Hopefully next week we can conclude that assessment give it to the Ministry of Finance, they will compile their data and we can have the recommendations.”
The residents also relayed, that as the water has started to recede from the backlands they are anxiously awaiting support to return to their cultivations. Mustapha repeatedly pleaded with those affected to give an accurate amount for the losses they suffered.
