THIEVES stole a pig and several bunches of plantains from farms at Cozier on the Essequibo Coast last Monday night.

Pig rearer Darrel Benn of Westbury Village said the pen on his farm was attacked and one of his pigs slaughtered.
He said the animal was killed at the location and the pork transported along the muddy dam to the public road at Somerset and Berks, then to a certain village where the meat was mixed with that stolen from other pig rearers.
Benn said the known thieves sold the meat of the stolen animals to the public on Christmas Eve and he estimated his loss at about $35,000.
He lamented that he has to walk the muddy dam every day to feed and care for his pigs.
Benn said the thieves raided two other farms, belonging to Carl Anthony Roberts and Goberdan Polastraj, Monday night, at Cozier and stole four bunches of plantains.
The farmers, who traced the foot tracks of the thieves said they know who they are and from which village and will take the matter to God in prayers, as they are all Christians and believe that the Almighty will reveal the thieves in public.
The pig farmer, who is known as ‘Brother Benn’, said he was rearing pigs in his backyard at Westbury but had to move his pen to Cozier because of a notice that was sent to him from the Public Health Department at the Paradise-Evergreen NDC office in Dartmouth.
Several residents said it is unfair that Benn had to move his pig pen to a remote location while other residents are rearing pigs in their backyards at Dartmouth and other villages with no harassment from the Public Health Department.
One resident said a good example is pig rearing at Golden Fleece Estate dam in the middle of a residential area and despite pleas from residents for the pig rearing to stop the NDC has failed to address the issue.

(By Rajendra Prabhulall)