AFTER investing millions in a fish unknown to Guyanese, farmer Krishna Persaud Jagdeo is left to search for avenues to market his commodity. Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle at his Marysburg, Corentyne farm, Jagdeo said the situation with the Brazilian fish is frustrating.He explained that he began fish rearing some two years ago, after noticing the influx of Brazilians in the country due to the gold rush. The farmer noted that he began rearing the tambaqui with the hope that he’d find, at the very least, a reasonable market for the fish.

To his surprise, not many people are familiar with the fish, and he does not have a large Brazilian clientele buying from him. He has some 30,000 tambaqui at his farm.

“I have been in the fish farming business for about two years, and I rear the tambaqui fish, a Brazilian fish, hassar and tilapia,” he explained.

The tambaqui represents the largest amount of fish reared by Jagdeo, as the tilapia and hassar are now in their reproduction stages.

A tambaqui weighs between four and 10 pounds. “It is very stressful,” he said, “because I have to feed them every day. I have to pay security; so it is costing me daily, and I am not recovering the money,” the farmer told Guyana Chronicle.

He explained that even as he explores avenues to market the fish, the fishes are being consumed by his family members and close friends.

HOPEFUL
With approximately $25M already invested, Jagdeo remains hopeful that doors would open and the fish can be sold both locally and in neighbouring Brazil and Suriname.
Just a few days ago, the persistent farmer travelled to Suriname with the hope of finding market for his commodity. It is his intention to reach out to local supermarkets, and also travel to Lethem and cross into Brazil so that persons would be aware that he is rearing the fish.

“The Brazilians like the fish. It is a tasty fish, but it is very costly,” said the Corentyne resident. “The Brazilians are not buying it…the majority of them left,” he added.

He explained that it costs him some $2M a month to feed the fishes. The fishes are fed 2000 pounds of feed twice daily at a cost of $3,500 per bag. “I have to feed them daily. They have to eat morning and afternoon. It is costing me because I still have to pay the bank every six months.”

Jagdeo has been the recipient of a loan through the Agricultural Diversification Programme. As such, he is required to pay instalments twice a year to the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI).

“I am afraid to put the fish on the local market…I am afraid people will steal from me,” the frustrated man told the Guyana Chronicle.

Additionally, the farmer is required to pay his five “watchmen” approximately $100,000 a week to ensure that his investment is not stolen.

“I am trying as much as I can to get sales for this fish, but Guyanese are not accustomed to the fish. I don’t know what to do.”

BE CAREFUL
The businessman is advising other fish farmers to be “careful” when investing in various species of fish. “I don’t want anybody to suffer like me. I invested a lot, but I don’t have the market…be careful.”

Receiving a large enough market to sell tambaqui is not the only challenge facing the Corentyne businessman. He is also a rice farmer and a contractor who specialises in construction of roads.

Jagdeo said he invested approximately $15M to purchase a feed mill. The machine can produce as much as 1,000 pounds of feed per hour. He said acquiring raw material is a big problem, as feed cannot be made unless all of the components are present. “We have the capacity but, unfortunately, soya meal has to be imported from Brazil, and the fish and protein meals are difficult to get here.”

While the cost is not necessarily hefty, Jagdeo said, unavailability of the items is causing him severe hardship. “Nowhere has tilapia feed (for sale); they have to import it from Trinidad, and it is costly. Rice bran is also not available here…this is a major problem presently. We can’t feed the cows, nothing,” the businessman added. “We really need the raw materials to make the feed…there is a serious problem with rice bran, fish meal and soya,” he stressed, as he looked at his feed mill that was not in use.

Things have not gotten easier for Jagdeo, who owns approximately 1500 acres of rice land in Region 6. He told the Guyana Chronicle that he has millions of dollars’ worth in equipment parked at his Marysburg location.

“My rice farm is there, but I stopped working. Everything park up. I had to down tools because of the price for paddy. I have lots of equipment, but it can’t pay,” he told this publication as he looked at his equipment with despair in his eyes.

The businessman explained that paddy costs as much as $2,500 per bag. “It is costing me a lot, because I have millions in investment,” he remarked.

Jagdeo, who has been a rice farmer for approximately 15 years, expressed much dissatisfaction with the situation. “This is the second crop now since I downed tools,” Guyana Chronicle was told.

While he is experiencing many difficulties in the fish and rice farming, the businessman can still rely on construction work and drainage and irrigation. agordon@guyanachronicle.com)

By Ariana Gordon