…but faces major security challenges

WITH increasing demands for Guyana’s coconuts – both locally and on the North American market, coupled with President Granger’s continued call for agricultural diversification, Trevor

Daniels, experienced in the business of coconut production, is confident he can contribute meaningfully towards revitalising Guyana’s coconut industry.

This, he says, is on condition that he and his employees can be assured of peaceful and uninterrupted access to lands on which to farm, and the assurance that they would not be subjected to intimidation and threats by gun-toting persons, as has been the practice over the last several months.
The 50-year-old Daniels, who was introduced to coconut production by his father, Walter Duncan at Phoenix Park, Pomeroon, has been engaged in the coconut production business for some 22 years, and is currently the owner of coconut estates at Greenfield and Barama Profit, Pomeroon.

Over the years he has provided employment for some 150 persons, who were engaged in felling trees; drainage/irrigation and preparation of the land; planting, caring for and picking of the nuts. As the coconut trees matured, there were also hired labourers who did (inter-crop) cash crops farming, growing bananas, plantains, and water-melons, which generated additional income.

Pomeroon Coconut farmer to invest $700M coconut production
With a sound and economically viable business plan, Daniels, who has committed to investing close to $700M for advancing the enterprise over the next five years, is eager to jump start the initiative, bringing some 3,000 acres of land in the Pomeroon under

cultivation.

Enthusiastic about this project, which he anticipates will yield billions in the ensuing years, he is optimistic that it will to create employment for the unemployed in the remote riverine areas in the Pomeroon and further afield. Already, persons from as far as Linden and Wakapao have indicated their interest in coming on board.
The investor envisions that at full operational capacity, the entire cultivation system, along with the related processing activities will employ at least 80 to 100 people. Daniels has to his credit, a reputation for producing top quality succulent water coconuts for drinking, as well as dried coconuts for the manufacture of edible oil and other domestic purposes. He has already submitted a Project Profile and is rearing and ready to go.

The Project essentially involves the acquisition of approximately 3,000 acres of land contiguous to existing coconut estates for expanded coconut cultivation.

Objectives of the Project
In the Short term, the Investor proposes to: (a) stimulate local production of coconuts through the acquisition of approximately 3,000 acres of state lands for coconut cultivation; (b) create more local employment opportunities by expanding current levels of coconut production capacity to satisfy the demands of both the local and overseas market.
Medium Term: (a) To strengthen Guyana’s local coconut production capacity to satisfy the demands of both the local and overseas market.
(b) To develop viable and sustainable coconut production practices.
(c ) To support the development of a coconut value-chain centred on industries involved in the production of coconut-based products.

Long Term: (a) To support the diversification of Guyana’s agricultural sector, whereby the centre can make a greater contribution to national GDP and also stimulate the development of agro-tourism. (b) To foster the sustainable development of the Pomeroon Sub-Region.
But whilst experience has taught him that development could be a slow painful process, and that it is not a highway strewn with roses, Daniels, never for one moment anticipated what has actually confronted him and his workforce in a few months. It hit them like an avalanche, resulting in the destruction of infrastructure, produce cultivated and the forced evacuation of workers off his bona fide lands.

Hard work aside, farming can be fun. Getting up early in the morning and travelling sometimes more than a mile to get to work on time; the fresh smell of garden produce and the aroma of the hot coffee with which workers might have opted to start the day on the farm. The camaraderie existing among fellow workers, occasionally cracking jokes; bush cooking and literally looking out for each other in a terrain invariably infested with snakes and other creatures. But all that changed within a few months.

Panic stalks the coconut estate
Trevor Daniels Investments (TDI) started in January 2016, and its woes began last October, when a jealous competitor allegedly initiated disruption of the operations being undertaken.
The Consultant and employees on the project site related sordid stories of being stormed by gunmen, who would chase them off the land; cause damage to the infrastructure and literally ‘flood them out’. One man related, “When these men appear, sometimes they would hide behind clumps of bushes and you only hear shots licking from left to right.”

Each time they repair the damage done and restart their operations, workers claim, the men would re-emerge on the scene, prompting them to say: “When you think its peace and safety, is sudden destruction.” This practice they claim, has been ongoing for some time, and fearful for their lives, some employees would opt out abandoning their jobs.
Gripped by fear, the workers who are family men and have several children, reasoned that invariably they are the only bread winners in the homes, and their families need them. Hence, they ‘clear out’ of the area so as to get out of harm’s way.
Exposed to such sordid encounters, allegedly at the hands of the ‘more affluent’ and with no representation, the farmers feel virtually powerless.

Meanwhile, the Project Consultant claims of having made reports to the police at Charity. The reports were recorded in the Occurrence Book, but no action has been taken and so the abuse goes on. For those who have opted to remain, it has only been a demonstration of faith and trust in The Almighty God, they claim. But resilient, Farm Manager Brian Trim is not giving up and affirms: “Once Almighty God is with us, we will come out victorious.”
And addressing the issue of expansion, the Consultant said: “We are asking government to consider making available to us, 3,000 acres of land to develop. We really need government’s assistance,” he implored. He said they started to push the enterprise in January 2016, but soon ran into problems.

Giving an insight into what is at stake whenever they are forced off their legitimate lands, the Project Consultant said: “We have under cultivation in excess of 40 acres of produce at Barama Profit District; Green Field Union and Barama Profit, where a lot of work is being done.”
There is a strong likelihood that, without such challenges, and given a chance to pursue this robust agricultural initiative, it will turn out to be an economic boon for both the investor and the nation at large.
Recalling government’s emphasis on the need for increased production of coconuts for export, the consultant noted too, that while the global demand for coconuts has increased by 10 per cent , the global supply was only increased by 2 per cent. This puts Guyana in a good position to capitalise on his market demand.

And according to the New Guyana Marketing Corporation, there are approximately 20 exporters of non-traditional crops, of which about 11 export coconut products (refined and crude coconut oil, coconut water, fresh or dried coconuts). From April 2015 to date, coconut water has been exported monthly, primarily to Trinidad. In 2015, the largest quantity of bottled coconut water: 27,591 kg was exported to Trinidad.
Similarly, to date, the largest quantity of coconut water: 20,000 kg was exported in May. During the last 16 months approximately 224,017 kg of coconut water has been exported. Guyana is reputed to be the largest regional exporter of (fresh) coconut water and dried coconuts.

Meanwhile, the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), has estimated Guyana’s coconut production to be some 242 million nuts per year, yielded by trees cultivated on approximately 70,000 acres of land. Albeit, the Institute (NARI) contends that there is potential for greater production and that this figure could safely be doubled to 500 million nuts per annum.

Humanitarian in nature, Trevor Daniels has taken on the corporate social responsibility of networking with the people of the Pomeroon to bring relief where needed. He has introduced a Feeding Programme for students of Grant Lilydale Primary School; has equipped the kitchen with utensils and each month, provides cash for the purchase of food items so as to ensure the children have a hot meal when attending school. More recently he has distributed kites to the pupils of the school, in an effort to add to the joy of Easter, and otherwise provides employment for a vast percentage of the neighbourhood.