Roadside meetings reveals bugbears of Reg.5 farmers

IN KINGERLLY: Agri Minister Mustapha is shown a map to a land trade unionist Lincoln Lewis has laid claim 

A number of roadside meetings held yesterday by the Ministry of Agriculture on Saturday heard numerous complaints from cane harvesters, cash crop and rice farmers.

The issues raised included exorbitant fees imposed by the Mahaica Mahaicony Abary Agriculture Development Authority (MMA), disputed alleged ancestral lands, police enforcement, poor maintenance of access dams and drainage in farming areas, top-heavy GuySuco management and overruns of crop in the sugar industry.

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha and technical teams from departments such as NARI, NDIA, Livestock, MMA and regional officers were on hand to hear the concerns of the residents.

The conditional survey which seems to be of utmost importance to the government was explained to residents concerned about the sugar industry. They were told the conditional survey is to examine the physical condition of the factories, machinery, job market unharvested crops and the labour force.

It would form the basis for the guidelines to be used in reopening the sugar industry, Zulfikar Mustapha explained. He added that the conditional survey would be completed within the next three weeks.

Farmers and residents at share concerns with the Agriculture Ministry’s team at Cotton Tree on Saturday

Concerns of the farmer about the high figures being asked of them by the MMA for lands which leased lands were also raised and the solution which was immediately communicated to the residents was that the government would reduce the fees.

The minister used the opportunity on the ground to instruct the regional officials and those within his ministry to meet with the residents in the new week to see the best way forward with respect to lands which are the subject of contention.

In one case a plot of land which is being claimed by trade unionist Lincoln Lewis and another individual came up and the residents were promised that the matter would be raised with the Attorney General for legal advice.

Farmers are not pleased that crops of cane which were to be harvested months ago are still standing in canfields while the other harvesting period approaches.

They claim the crops are being left unharvested in order to build up which would see the workload being more on them but with little or no additional money for the higher volume of work.

Communities visited on Saturday included Fouils, C-Field, Bushlot, Bath, Cotton Tree and Blairmont.