Dear Editor,
There have been persistent cries for affirmative action programmes to help rectify imbalances in valued sectors of the economy. I have supported this initiative since 1998, in areas where there might have been discriminatory practices in the past that contributed to particular groups’ lower participation. Only last year, for instance, I responded positively to a call by Mr Tacuma Ogunseye for such programmes, which, he said are resisted by groups with advantages.
I pointed approvingly to “the Caricom Development Fund’s (CDF’s) $2.6B Rural Agricultural Infrastructure Development (RAID) programme, which the APNU/AFC Government signed in Dec 2016 and implemented since 2017 to develop sustainable farming in the African Guyanese villages of Ithaca, Buxton, BV and Mocha…” and asked that it “be extended to other groups (and that) Ethnic Impact Statements should be issued to monitor compliance.”
I return to this subject for two reasons. Firstly I noticed a news report a few weeks ago about a group of farmers in the Buxton backlands complaining to the Minister of Agriculture about “blocked drains”. As reported by DPI, “The farmer also told Minister Mustapha that members of the various farmers’ groups have been in discussion with officers from NAREI to identify a piece of land that can be used as a demonstration plot so that farmers in the village can be taught how to properly grow and manage the cultivation of crops like ginger, turmeric, and other non-traditional crops. Another farmer said that works were done, but were discontinued abruptly in the early parts of 2019, and that since then, maintenance works on the drains have not been carried out.” But these were precisely the areas the $2.6 Billion RAID initiative was supposed to address. What happened – especially to the $1.3 Billion equipment?
I had taken note of the RAID project because it appeared to be a very comprehensive one funded by the CDB (US$10.44 million in grant and loan) and another US$2 million from the Government. It included reviving 2500 acres of abandoned lands behind the 4 villages, organizing 1200 farmers into cooperatives, supplying excavators, tractors, pumps (at least one installed to drain Mocha) to clear and plough the lands, having them advised by GMC to build capacity and identify local and Caricom markets. NAREI would help with extension services. The Guyana National Co-operative Credit Union Limited (GNCCUL) would assist the farmers in organizing themselves while GLDA (Guyana Livestock Development Authority) pitched in. Half of the $2.6 billion would be spent on farming and drainage equipment that (most noteworthy) would remain in the communities with the remaining funds funneled through the co-ops.
Seedlings were handed over and then Finance Minister Jordan was commendably present in the communities promoting the RAID Initiative assuring farmers of future supplies as a “ jump-start” from NAREI. “There are crops that are planted and will give a return in 18 months, some three years, some five years, and in between, there will be intercropping with in-demand crops like turmeric, ginger and so forth, so it’s a work in progress. There is rice on the other side then there is cattle and so forth.” Again, what happened?
The second reason was that the closure of the Wales sugar estate was initiated simultaneously with RAID in 2017 and in the White Paper presented to Parliament on the closure, Agri Minister Holder had explained that land would be made available to dismissed sugar workers and they would be transitioned into farming and aquaculture etc. The programme sounded very much like the RAID model. This latter programme never materialized.
I am calling on the PPP government to audit the RAID programmes for lessons in launching other affirmative action programmes in agriculture.
Sincerely,
Ravi Dev
