On Saturday, Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha held meetings with farmers and residents from Bushlot, West Berbice, and Helena # 2, Mahaica and heard of continuing disputes between rice growers and cattle rearers.
While at Bushlot, the minister spoke with rice and cash crop farmers, along with persons who rear cattle who told him that the issue of cattle entering rice fields continues to be a problem in many areas within the Mahaica, Mahaicony, Abary-Agricultural Development Authority (MMA-ADA) Scheme. Additionally, farmers related that there are persons who have leases for lands in the Scheme but are continuing to rent these lands to other persons which posed an issue for some when the government was rolling out its flood relief programme, a release from the Ministry of Agriculture said.