NDIA clearing grazing lands for cattle herders displaced by new school, athletic track
…says Robert Persaud
Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud says he has made representation at the level of Cabinet to bring attention to the plight of cattle farmers whose animals find difficulty in grazing because of the development of a synthetic athletic track and a school at Leonora, West Coast Demerara. Speaking at a press conference yesterday, the minister responded to questions posed about what will happen with the displaced farmers.
According to information, some 50 cattle farmers had occupied the land before it was earmarked for development and they had approached the Ministry of Agriculture about relocation so that they may be able to continue to earn a living from their livestock.
“Education is good, sports and development are very important activities; but we have a situation where they are now competing with cattle. As Minister of Agriculture I represented the matter to the Cabinet and we have been able to find alternative land located south of [the track and new school],” Persaud said.
“The issue there is that the land is a bit heavily vegetated so we had to do some clearing to bring it back,” he said.
“We have been able to utilise our own equipment and even to develop that pasture and I have been pushing the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) to use some of its assets, and work has started,” Minister Persaud pointed out.
Speaking on the issue, CEO of the NDIA Lionel Wordsworth said he was in the area on Friday and he confirmed some 20 percent of the clearing work has been completed and that work is continuing.
Minister Persaud said that the Guyana Livestock Development Authority has an overall approach in terms of looking at pasture development; and very soon, they would be starting pasture development work in Mocha Arcadia on the East Bank, and the No. 52 – No. 66 area in Corentyne, Berbice.
“We want to look at pasture particularly for milk purposes, but also for beef too. So I don’t want the suggestion to be made that persons are being displaced for housing or other development and no efforts are being made to accommodate them,” he said.
Referring to the developments, Persaud said, “For me, it is a disruption. However, in Guyana we don’t have a situation where we just remove persons and don’t look for alternatives. We find the alternative first and come up together with a programme so you have mutual development taking place.”