Wharves built close to the Berbice River to allow for easy transport of logs out of the community
New investors who are ready to push development are expected to set up operation in the Upper Berbice River area, as the Agriculture Ministry continues to repossess more lands and redistribute same to investors who are ready and capable to help develop the sectors.
This move is in line with the ministry’s drive to push its Diversification Programme and create employment opportunities for farmers. Upper Berbice River communities of Kwakwani and Ituni are being targeted because of the availability of large areas of uncultivated arable land and unused vegetative savannahs ideal for cattle grazing. Since the communities lost bauxite mining as a main industry, opportunities have been lacking there, and farmers and residents have started to migrate to urban areas in Region Six, Linden and Georgetown.
The lands being repossessed were previously leased to private farmers for the purpose of agricultural production, but have been left unused over the years. Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud, on a visit to the communities on Saturday, said that government is sparking development in the Upper Berbice River communities because there is room for advancement of the agro-based and forestry industries. He added that, with this in mind, Cabinet has accordingly made allocations in this year’s budget.
Over the years, the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission and the Agriculture Ministry have sought to expand the livestock and cash crop sectors in those communities by allocating large plots of land to investors both local and foreign, but this has been an unfruitful venture thus far. “Investors have been (moving) at snail’s pace in developing the lands and bringing them under productive use,” the minister said.
Persaud said that lands repossessed will be given to other investors who are serious about agriculture development. Pasture development has immeasurable potential, and with the plans for introduction of genetic improvement in livestock and cattle rearing, Persaud said, farmers of these communities would have opportunity to cash in.
Meantime, not only farmlands are being repossessed, but also forestry and logging concessions. The minister disclosed that, while farmers are given the opportunity to use the land for their logging activities, most of the concessions in Kwakwani are not fully utilised. He added that, of the 27 concessions granted for logging, the area’s production still remains unimpressive at 20 per cent, which is below par.
However, farmers defended this, saying that most of the concessionaires are small-scale loggers who are faced with various constraints. While it was not disclosed if and how many pieces of land have been repossessed, loggers who breached the regulations of the Logging Code of Practise have been disciplined by the Guyana Forestry Commission.
